Out of My League - Sarah Sutton Page 0,25
know where her fake boyfriend was going to be? Maybe, maybe not, but I didn’t risk it.
Scott ended up just nodding his head once before heading back off toward the basketball court, barely glancing in my direction.
I released a heavy breath as soon as he was out of earshot, my lungs on the brink of bursting. Leftover tension caused my fingers to tremble, and the hand that held the leash tightened its grip. “That was—”
“Brilliant.” Walsh smiled, letting go of my hand. Cool air brushed my skin, and I wondered if my hand felt clammy to him. Ugh, what if it had? “Did you see his face, Sophia? He’s totally buying it.”
How could Walsh tell by merely looking at his face? “Really?”
“Totally.”
I pursed my lips, not completely sold. “You’re trying way too hard.”
“What? How?”
With him looking at me like that, the urge to smack him was so strong. “We’re supposed to convince people that we’re dating, not planning a wedding.”
He laughed at that, saying nothing in response.
We walked together in quiet for a moment, a little girl on a tricycle pedaling past us. Dina tried to get in the path of her wheel, and I pulled her back at the last second. “Thank you for coming with me,” I told Walsh quietly. “It’s nice to walk with someone who can speak to me for a change.”
“It’s what fake boyfriends do, right?” His voice was gentle, and as was the hand that lifted, pushing my glasses up my nose. I hadn’t realized they’d fallen low.
Staring at his face, I noticed a faint, silvery scar underneath his right eye, as small as my thumbnail. I reached out with my free hand, tracing my fingertip along his skin. A featherlight touch, barely there. “What happened here?”
His gaze never left mine. “Baseball cleat. Fourth grade. One of my teammates threw it at me.”
“Some little league kid threw their shoe at you? Why?”
“I told him that he couldn’t bat very well.” Walsh shrugged. “He couldn’t take the truth.”
I snorted. “You were that kid? The dream crusher?”
“Well, someone had to be.” His small smile was unapologetic. “Ask me who the kid was.”
I looked at him for a moment before tipping my head. “No way. Scott?”
“Who else would be that aggressive as a fourth-grader?”
Dina pulled at my arm as I laughed, shaking my head at the thought of miniature Scott throwing a shoe at small Walsh. I stepped out from the tangle of leashes at our feet, glancing down. “Oh, your poor rich-boy shoes.”
“What?” Walsh looked at his feet. “Oh.”
Brown smeared the side of his expensive-looking shoe, probably coating along the bottom. “With dogs around, you should probably watch where you’re walking.”
Walsh let go of my hand to switch the leash and proceeded to try and smear the offensive substance onto the grass. “Now you tell me.”
“Should we clean the poop off your shoe together? Is that romantic?”
His response was dry. “Ha-ha.”
“What? Shouldn’t we get a photo and caption it, ‘This might’ve been an accident, but falling in love wasn’t’?”
“Watch it, or I’ll wipe it on your ankle.”
I jerked back just in case he tried it, nearly tripping over Dina’s wealth of leash. “So, what’s going on tonight that you’re hanging out with Scott?
“Ryan’s just having a small party.” Walsh’s voice was hesitant as he rose. “He’s a guy on the baseball team.”
“He’s having it on a Tuesday?”
“His parents are out of town. It’s a real small thing.” Walsh slipped his shoe back on, stepping away from the pile. “Did you want to come with me?”
Ah, it was that kind of party. The “no adults, just friends” kind of party. Most of the time, those included alcohol. “You should know that I don’t drink.” I don’t know why I blurted it out like a complete loser, but the words hung in the air anyway.
Walsh made a noise in the back of his throat. “I don’t either.”
I wanted to call him out on it, but he’d said it so simply, so quickly, that I couldn’t be sure he wasn’t telling the truth.
“If you don’t want to go tonight, that’s okay. Sometimes they’re fun.”
I probably wouldn’t have used the word fun. More like horrifying. Going to a party on my own free will without Edith? Ew.
But wasn’t that what fake dating Walsh was for? Getting access to this insider kind of thing? Getting exclusive information on things that I would’ve missed out on originally? Ryan’s party was a prime example. Without Walsh, I never would’ve been invited to this.