Fake Love - Jaxson Kidman Page 0,39

the puzzle though, but if I had enough vodka, I would end up slipping and saying something stupid.

“What do you think?” Gia asked me.

“I think I need another drink,” I said.

Gia did her I’m almost drunk giggle.

That was a relief.

I took another sip of the vodka and we sat together, shoulder to shoulder, like old friends.

Gia was more of a ghost than a target in BFH. But the times she was there, she had been a target. I wanted to tell her myself, and the world, that I wasn’t all about acting like a bitch to everyone - including Gia - but I was there. I was part of it. I did nothing to stop it.

“How was your running today?” I asked her.

“Okay,” she said. “When I train, it’s different than just running.”

“How so?”

“Training is about focus,” she said. “Running is about freedom. When I run, I just feel like…” She looked at me. “Is this weird?”

“Why?”

“I sound like a fool.”

“No, you don’t. You have something you enjoy. Something that matters to you. It’s good to have that. Look at everything around us.”

“Yeah?”

“Hey,” I said, nudging my shoulder against hers. “I may not remember anything, but I can still see.” I smiled. “Our mothers are fucking crazy. BFH is fucking crazy. I’m glad you have running. Maybe I should run too.”

“You should,” Gia said to me. She grabbed my hand. “Say yes. We can run together. We can run on the beach. The road. Anywhere you want.”

I smiled. “I already told you, I only run if a bear is chasing me.”

“I’ll wear a bear costume.”

I laughed. “You have a bear costume?”

“My mother has some weird almost costumes.”

“What’s an almost costume?” I asked.

“Well… stuff you wear that’s skimpy in certain parts. She likes to dress up. Role play. You know?”

“That’s kind of gross,” I said.

“Of course it is. Why do you think I run so much?!”

We both started to laugh.

I felt my phone vibrate against the sand.

I looked down and saw a text message.

All laughter stopped.

I felt like I couldn’t take a breath.

Enough giggling, darling. We need to talk. Don’t look back too fast, you’ll blow my cover.

Talon was here.

He was right behind me.

From the corner of my eye to my left I saw Gia staring at the ocean, still smiling.

I casually turned my body to the right, like I was trying to crack my back.

I turned my head and looked in the direction of the deck.

There was a quick flash of light.

Talon waving his cell phone.

Then it was gone.

But he was there.

The longer I stared, the more I could see his silhouette.

“What are you looking at?” Gia asked.

“What? Nothing!”

I yelled too loud.

“What was that about?”

Gia moved back and forth, staring right at Talon.

I tried to block her view, moving with her.

“Winter…”

I inched closer to her.

What are you going to do? Kiss her?

My mind bounced around.

“Let’s go swimming in the ocean!” I yelled right in her face.

“Swim?” Gia asked. “You don’t like the ocean. Remember?”

“Uh… I mean… we can look at the stars again.”

“It’s cloudy. What is going on with you right now? Is someone… wait…”

Gia kicked at the sand to get to her feet.

I grabbed her left leg and twisted it.

She howled in pain and fell back down.

“What the fuck?” Gia yelled at me.

“Tag, you’re it!” I said.

“What? What are you doing?”

I pushed away from her. “Catch me…”

I was going to run away from my mother’s house. Away from Talon.

But Gia wasn’t buying it.

She got to her feet and wiped the sand off her body.

“Gia, come here,” I said as I started to trot down the beach.

She reached down for the bottle of vodka. “You’re hiding something, Winter. You got a text and now you’re all jumpy. What’s going on over there?”

Gia took a step and I grabbed for my phone.

Go away now!

I figured Talon wouldn’t want his cover blown, right?

Wrong.

Talon texted right back.

I have nothing to hide. Unlike you, Winter.

“Fuck,” I whispered.

I chased after Gia.

I swiped the bottle of vodka from her hand and spun around, blocking her path.

“Want to see who can drink more?” I asked. “Let’s get totally wasted. You can sleep here. We’ll fake having our periods tomorrow and skip everything.”

Gia slowly grinned. “Really?”

“What?”

“You’re a rotten liar, Winter.”

My heart sank. “Gia…”

“You have a guy here.”

“No I don’t!” I yelled.

“Yes you do,” Gia said. She leaned toward me. “He’s staring right at us.”

I spun around and Talon was visible.

Tall, dark, mean… a Troc…

His hands in the front pocket of his hoodie. Staring at me with a cocky