Fake It 'Til You Break It(35)

I shake my head, and lean closer to glance out the window, then wrap my arm around her outer thigh and pull her to me.

Wide eyes slice to mine.

“We’re coming up to the curve,” I tell her. “All the carts ahead of us will be able to look back as we round it, and then everyone will be waiting there as we climb off, too.” My gaze holds hers. “My girl wouldn’t be sitting so far away from me.”

“Oh, no?” She cocks a brow, playfully. “And would she... simply sit right here beside you?”

My head tugs back.

She chuckles. “Did I surprise you?” She smiles, and I lick my lips. “I’m not shy, in case you thought different, I’m also not the in your face type, so of course you wouldn’t have noticed.”

It’s not a dig at me, she’s only speaking what she knows.

What she thinks she knows.

“If you’re not shy, why haven’t you asked Hammons out already?”

That has her pausing. It takes a second but then her eyes come back to mine.

“I don’t know, maybe because while we’re friends he’s never shown interest past that. I’m sure he’d be down to hook-up or something, but I’ve never gotten the feeling he would want to date past that and I don’t know, I don’t want to waste the chance if there is one by going the fling route.”

“So you don’t want to be rejected?”

“Would you?” Her tone is sharp.

“I’ve been rejected.”

She scoffs, her eyes flicking upward.

“I have.”

“By who?”

“You.”

Her head snaps my way, a small frown pulling at her forehead. “What?”

“Yup.”

“You lie.” She crosses her arms, but her tone is unsure.

“Nope.”

“When?”

“I invited you to wake me up with my dick in your mouth and guess what?” I lean in and her brows jump. “I woke up in an empty bed.”

It takes her a second, but she busts up laughing, hitting my chest with her little hand and I can’t help but grin.

We’re at the bend now, so before she can pull back, I grip her wrist to hold it there.

Out her window, I spot our friends in the carts ahead, all of them looking around at the others, so I scoot closer and her laughter slowly dies.

“People are watching now.”



Something about the way he whispers has me swallowing.

“Demi!” Krista’s shout hits my ears.

I jolt, tugging free from Nico’s grasp and spin around to wave.

She throws her hands up, letting out a loud scream that follows each cart after hers.

Nico scoots up behind me and I lean over slightly so he can fit his head next to mine.

Trent throws his arms out to his buddy and Nico’s low chuckle wafts across my neck and I convince myself the sensation it creates is a natural response to the warmth against my skin.

“Is that Carley and Thompson?” he asks.

I look in time to see them finish their kiss. Both of them start laughing when they realize they got caught.

“Sluuuut!” Krista yells with a laugh, and then her and Trent’s cart disappears from sight, each other’s right after it.

With a laugh I turn back, my breath catching as I do.

Nico is right there, right against me, his hand sliding into my hair, mouth moving in only to skim across my cheek.

My arm shoots up, gripping his wrist as a heavy knot forms in the pit of my stomach.

“Almost, D,” he murmurs, the vibration of his word raising the hair on my neck. “Keep still.”

My features pull, my grip tightening with his.

What the hell is wrong with me?

The whistling sounds have him pulling back, a smirk on his face as he releases me and turns for the door that the ride attendant is about to open.

He climbs out and I sit there frozen, only moving when he pops his head back in, his hand extended for me to grab.

I do, and he pulls me from the cart, yanking my body to his the second my feet touch the ground.

He drops a chaste kiss to my cheek, slides a hand around my waist and ushers us forward, our friends waiting just a few steps away.

While my girls give me wiggly eyebrows for a whole two seconds, nobody else dwells or makes a big deal.

It’s as if seeing the two of us like this is normal, accepted, and we’re just another couple having fun on the boardwalk, laughing and smiling and ready for the next ride.

I don’t hate it.

As a group, we get in line for the rollercoaster, everyone chatting amongst themselves as we wait. After a few minutes, I take a second to look at Nico.

His backward hat is covering the messy top of his hair, showing nothing but his perfect fade.

He jokes with Trent and Thompson about something, laughing as he pushes off their shoulders. His fist comes up to his mouth when he smiles as if he doesn’t quite want to share it with the others, but from my angle, his white teeth shine.

I’ve never really known him to laugh much, though, I assume it’s something he does often with his friends.

I hope he does, he looks good doing it.

Thompson swats Nico’s arm, and Nico’s stare slices over – the entire group catching me staring.