Fake It 'Til You Break It(50)

“What?” I draw out.

“I sort of... sugar-coated part of the story...” Krista says slowly, pulling her lips back to show her teeth.

“Just tell me.”

“I don’t think it matters.”

“Krista.”

“It was Alex,” she rushes out.

My face falls. “Wait... what?”

Alex?

Macy and Carley both gape at Krista then look to me.

“Alex.” I lower my chin. “Josie slept with Alex while she was with Nico?”

Krista chews on her bottom lip as she nods, then quickly shrugs it off. “It doesn’t mean anything, Demi. I just thought, you know...” She trails off.

“Thought it was a strange coincidence?” Carley asks suspiciously.

Krista nods, her eyes moving between the three of us before once again landing on me.

“Okay, well, who cares.” It’s Macy who says this. “Demi is the one who has, or maybe had, I don’t know, a thing for Alex. So, for any of this to matter, it would have needed to be the other way around. It’s not like Alex was into Demi and so Nico...”

“Pretended to be into me?” I give them the truth covered in a lie, my chest growing tight for reasons I’m not ready to admit.

Is that what this is? A way to get to Alex for screwing the only girl Nico cared enough about to keep around?

“Oh, no.” Krista sits up straight. “There is no way, no how, that’s the case. It is so obvious he’s hot for you. I wasn’t trying to insinuate anything, swear, but I mean, I had to tell you. I can’t help but think if he knew you had the hots for Alex before him, it might make him nervous or angry or something, thinking it could happen again.”

“Yeah.” I give my best fake chuckle. “Good thing he doesn’t know about that.”

Awesome, Demi. Keep offering unnecessary lies.

The rest of lunch I’m useless and lost in thought, but what Krista said was true.

My gaze travels to Nico who’s talking with Thompson.

What purpose would it serve for Nico to want to fake date me when his ex cheated with the guy he’s supposed to help me get?

The simple answer is it wouldn’t.

That doesn’t stop me from coming up with a million other reasons why, none of them making any sense to me.

After a moment, Nico’s eyes slide my way, and as if sensing the tension building in my gut, his expression tightens, and he nods his chin in question.

I give a half smile in answer, and after a moment he nods, looking back to his friends.

It shouldn’t comfort me that my fake boyfriend knows how to read me.

Yet, for some reason... it does.



––––––––

“Can I ask you something?”

Trent looks up from the blender, nodding his chin as if to say go ahead before focusing back on the margaritas he was asked to help make.

Every time Thompson has a party, he puts Trent behind his parents’ bar to mix drinks.

“Did Josie really sleep with Alex?”

Trent’s glare flies to the kitchen table where Krista sits, and he curses, finally looking back to me.

“Does it matter if she did?” he deflects.

“Trent, come on.” I cross my arms, leaning them on the countertop.

It’s Monday night, so three days since Krista filled me in on Alex and Josie and I need extra confirmation, so I can stop thinking about it which is pretty much how I spent my weekend.

Trent turns off the machine, quickly pouring a cup and handing it to me. He grips the edge of the marble. “Yeah, she did.”

“Did she break Nico’s heart?”

Trent scoffs a small laugh. “No, Dem. Not even a little bit.”

When I frown, he sighs, cuts a quick glance toward the living room where Nico sits, then leans closer. “Nic liked Josie, a lot. They dated for a long time, but it wasn’t so much love as it was comfortable, a way to escape. Someone to hang with.” He lifts his shoulder, adding. “Sex on hand.”

I roll my eyes and he lifts his palms.

“So... he wasn’t hurt by it, like at all?”

He studies me, inquisition in his eyes.

“Are you falling for him?” His tone’s suspiciously full of surprise.

My muscles grow tight. “We’re... dating, Trent.”

He’s quick to shake it off. “No, yeah. I didn’t mean anything by it. I’m sorry.”

I eye him and after a bit, Trent licks his lips, looking at Nico a long moment.

He hangs his head, a deep exhale leaving him as his attention slides back to me. “It hurt him, Dem, yeah, but not in the way you’re thinking. It’s more complicated than you realize, it was a low ass blow from Josie. Don’t ask me anything else, all right? Please.”

“Why not?”

“Because it’s not my place, and when you look at me like this, all genuine and with honest curiosity and concern, it’s real fucking hard to deny you.” His eyes widen. “Always has been.”

A light laugh leaves me, and I drop my stare to my cup. “You know, I always thought you were a bit of a blabbermouth, like your girlfriend.”

He laughs goodheartedly.

“But now I know you’re not.”