Fake Friends - Saxon James Page 0,24

never seen this much money ever, and suddenly it’s all sitting in my bank account. Were the pictures really that good?

I hunch forward, head between my knees, and let my phone drop to the ground.

Jesus.

Who the hell has a panic attack over having money?

My phone stares back at me, the message he sent dulled, and the dumbest, strangest, most absurd thought starts to kick around in my head.

Me: I think I have a deal for you

I kick at the dirt, wondering how long I should give him before I decide he won’t show. There’s still five minutes until our agreed meeting time, but if he wanted to be here, he would be already. So I figure a minute past is a hard limit.

Because I’m an understanding kind of guy.

I inhale the smell of damp forest and wallflower just as a car turns onto the road leading to the parking lot. I want to be disappointed he showed up.

I’m not.

I nod in acknowledgment like meeting with an ex-friend is all totally cool and how I normally spend the weekends.

Crown Trails is busier today than it normally is during the week, and with the arrival of spring, more people from across the state drive up here for a day out. There’s a park with benches and grills for families to use, right before the entrance to a few different trail heads.

“You’re early,” he says, jumping out of the car and throwing a backpack on. He’s wearing the same hat he was the other day, and his eyes are bright in the shadow from its brim.

“Are you going to tell me what we’re doing here yet?” I ask as he locks the car and approaches.

“Figured we could take a hike. For old times.”

I’m confused. “I’m sorry, are we friends again? Why the hell would you think I’d want to do that?”

He leans in and I hurry to back up a step. “Because we’re fake dating, remember? Should probably get shots of us doing things together.”

Did I take a knock to the head? Rowan heads for the path, and I scramble to follow him. “Fake dating?”

Am I hearing this right?

“That’s what I wanted to talk to you about. But first, usual spot. Then I’ll tell you my plan.”

The usual spot? Of course he wants to take me to the one spot in all of Crown Trails that I actively avoid. I’m also not loving the familiarity in his voice.

Rowan walks ahead of me, and as I watch each step, I’m transported back in time to when he was a little shorter and a little leaner and his arms were free of ink.

He throws a smile back over his shoulder, and it’s exactly the same smile as the one that, back then, I would have done anything for.

Not today, Satan.

We’ve walked this path so many times together that even all these years later it’s instinctual. The way one of us will pause to let the other pass when the path gets narrow, or the steep inclines we help each other over.

And then we reach the lookout. It’s mostly overgrown with shrubbery now, but there’s still a rocky ledge where we used to sit and flirt and talk about the dumbest shit, just so we could be together.

During senior year, that was literally all I ever wanted.

Rowan sets down his backpack and sits on the left of the ledge, hanging his legs over the side.

Do I join him and try to recreate whatever kind of something he’s clearly pushing for?

Or do I keep my stubborn ass over here and pretend like I’m totally unfazed.

Because this complete time warp is doing nothing to clarify my feelings for him.

I stay standing.

Rowan lets out a short chuckle when he sees me cross my arms and lean back against the rock wall. “Fair enough.”

“Ready to talk yet?”

He unzips his backpack and pulls a container from inside. If that’s what I think it is …

Brownies.

So he’s not here to play fair, then.

“I should never have forgiven you, you know.”

“I know.” He catches my eyes. “I still haven’t forgiven myself, if that helps? And after spending a good part of my life regretting what happened, I can promise it’s not something that will ever happen again. Not that I expect you to believe me.”

“I don’t.”

“Good. You’re still smart.” He turns and looks out over the valley below.

Smart is debatable. Academically, I’m okay; emotionally, I’m an absolute dumbshit, because while I stand here and watch him, I’m trying to justify moving closer.

It’s not