Trouble with the Fake Boyfriend (Rock Bottom #3) - Holly Renee Page 0,40

But that change had to be temporary.

Anything beyond temporary we couldn’t handle.

Anything beyond temporary would fuck everything up.

It didn’t matter if either of us wanted more. More wasn’t what we agreed upon. More was what got you hurt. More was when you gave someone else the power to destroy you, and neither of us wanted to give away that power.

I wasn’t sure if I ever would.

But if I did, if she would have been the one, we would have had fun.

Fun was all that I could give her right now.

We only had a couple days left in Tennessee, and I wanted her to enjoy it.

From the moment she walked in the door with my mom, I knew something was wrong. No matter how hard she tried to hide her feelings, her face showed them. But of course as soon as I asked her what was wrong, a smile slipped into place and she assured me that everything was fine.

I didn’t believe her for a second.

But she didn’t have to tell me her secrets. She didn’t owe me anything.

I managed to get her in the car even though alone with me seemed like the last place she wanted to be.

“Just tell me where we’re going.” She was staring out the window and things felt more tense between us than they ever had before. Even after we almost fucked each other. She avoided me, but it didn’t feel like this.

This felt permanent. This felt like she wanted to get as far away from me as she could.

Like there was nothing I could do to change her mind.

“Relax. I promise we’re going to have fun.” At least I hoped we were.

Today was just going to be me, her, Sophie, and Jase. No pretending. No fake relationship. Just us. She didn’t even have to act like she liked me if she didn’t want to.

“I don’t trust you.” She smiled for the first time since she had been home. The first real smile. “You’re probably going to take me back to those swamp waters again.”

I rolled my eyes at how ridiculous she was being. “I’m not taking you back to the lake. I learned my lesson the first time.”

She turned in her seat to look at me with her brows pinned together. “What’s that supposed to mean?”

“Nothing.” I held up one hand in defense while driving. “I just don’t want to have to balance you on a float all day again so you don’t touch the water.”

“I touched the water, you jerk. I just don’t like swimming where I can’t touch. And for your information—” Whatever she was going to say next was cut off as soon as the Ferris wheel came into view.

She sat up straighter in her seat and stared out the windshield like a little kid. She pointed in the direction of the fair with the biggest smile on her face. “Is that where we’re going?”

“Yes.” I chuckled. “I’m taking it you like the fair?”

She shook her head but didn’t take her eyes off the window. “I’ve never been.”

“You’ve never been to the fair?” I sounded as shocked as I felt. What twenty-something-year-old woman had never been to the fair?

“Nope.” She was practically bouncing in her seat as I pulled in. “But I’ve always wanted to.”

She was out of the car before I could cut the engine. She grabbed my hand as I rounded the front without hesitation, almost as if it had become a habit. But I didn’t stop her.

I let her pull me toward the entrance, and I couldn’t stop smiling at how excited she was. Sophie and Jase were waiting for us at the ticket booth, and that was the icing on the cake. Brooke dropped my hand and practically ran toward Sophie.

I purchased our wristbands while they talked, and Jase leaned against the booth as I handed over my cash.

“So, what’s the deal there?” He nodded his head in Brooke’s direction.

“You know the deal.” I let the ticket lady wrap one of the wristbands around my wrist before I took the other one from her.

“Yeah. I know the agreement the two of you made, but what’s really going on there?”

“Nothing.” My answer was quick and honest and a complete and total lie.

But I didn’t know how to explain something I didn’t understand myself. What was I supposed to tell him? I had no damn clue what she was doing to me? I didn’t have a clue how I’m supposed to walk away from her when this is all