The Fill-In Boyfriend(24)

“No, I’m not. Me being there would do nothing for you. What I want is for you to show up confident with proof that you have moved on from that horrible girl.”

“She’s not horrible.”

“I think time has made you forget the extent of her betrayal.”

His voice went low. “I haven’t forgotten.”

“Then why are you going? Why?”

“I guess I need some closure.”

“And you can’t talk to her at school or something?”

“I haven’t seen her at school lately. She goes off campus for lunch. I’m not going to hunt her down.”

“And yet here you are . . . hunting her down.”

“Getting closure.”

“Only that’s not what is going to happen. I know her. She would only invite you for two reasons. One, she wants to rub in your face how happy she is with he-who-will-not-be-named and make sure you haven’t moved on. Or two, she’s dumped him and realized how great you are and wants you back. I’m pretty sure it’s the second, and I think you might just be crazy enough to take her back.”

“I’m not going to take her back.”

“You’re right. You’re not because I found a date for you. Not just any date, a gorgeous one who will pretend to be in love with you.”

“You hired me an escort?”

Bec laughed. “That was my backup plan.”

There was silence for a moment then he said, “You’re serious, aren’t you? You really did get me a date for this.”

“Yes, I’m very serious. She’s here right now.”

“Bec! No. This is not happening. Tell the poor girl she can go home.”

“She’s not a poor girl. She knows why she’s here.”

“And she agreed?”

“Yes, she owes you a favor.”

“She owes me a favor . . . ?”

He obviously hadn’t been thinking about me as much as I had about him because with a clue like that he should’ve immediately known it was me.

Bec cleared her throat. “I know you’re in the hall so you might as well come out.”

How did she know I was in the hall? Also, I didn’t want to step out now because I felt beyond stupid. I just wanted to go home . . . after I asked him why he went to prom with me.

“Hello? Time to come out. You promised.”

I swallowed and stepped out from behind the wall.

Fill-in Bradley’s eyes went wide and he took me in from head to toe. “Gia?” His head whipped to his sister. “Gia?”

“Yes. Gia,” she said. “You’re welcome.”

“You know I had nothing to do with this.” He tugged on the bottom of a T-shirt that said, You can’t take the sky from me. His hair needed my help again, but he was cuter than I remembered.

“Yes. Well, I know . . . now.”

“You do not have to come with me. You look amazing, really amazing, but I’d actually rather go by myself, no offense.”

“None taken.” Technically I hadn’t wanted to go with him to this stupid party where I wouldn’t know anyone either, but his saying he didn’t want me to go was a little jab to the gut. He’d rather go by himself than have to take me? Whatever. It didn’t matter. If I left right now I could go to Logan’s party with my friends. “I should probably just go home.”

“Yes,” fill-in Bradley said at the same exact time Bec said, “No!”

I looked between the two of them. Bec’s eyes were pleading. I had told her I’d try to convince him, plus I kind of agreed with her. He shouldn’t be going to his ex’s party alone. Especially if he was trying to win her back.

“Listen, I don’t have to pretend to be your girlfriend or anything. I could just go as your friend.”

“I really don’t want to make you do that.”

“You wouldn’t be making me. Plus I got all dressed up.”

He smiled. “We wouldn’t want that to go to waste.”

“Right?”

“Good,” Bec said. “It’s settled.” Then she grabbed my arm and pulled me back toward her room before he could object any more. “I just need to talk to Gia for a second and then she’ll be ready.”

“Okay,” he said.

When we were in her room, she turned to me. “Good call on the friends thing. That will get you there, then once you’re there you can hold his hand and kiss his cheek and whatever other girlfriend stuff you need to do to pull this off.”