The Fill-In Boyfriend(33)

He reached up and took my face in his hands. He pulled me toward him, the desire in his eyes spelling out his intentions.

“Don’t do it unless you mean it,” I whispered, inches from his lips. I had meant it as a joke but it came out breathy and serious.

He immediately paused, his eyes changing from desire to worry. He turned my head and kissed my cheek instead. I was both disappointed and relieved all at once. I reminded myself what we were really doing. If this didn’t make Eve jealous, nothing would.





CHAPTER 15





“Oh,” I heard Eve gasp. “Sorry.”

We sat up as if caught.

Hayden ran a hand through his hair, brushing off the sand and completely messing up my styling job. “Hi, Eve. Did you need something?”

“No. I mean, yes, um, Spencer is looking for you.”

Hayden’s eyes lit up. “Spencer is here?”

“He just got here. I told him you were coming.”

Hayden jumped to his feet then reached down to help me. He pulled me up so hard that I almost ended up on the ground again. Then he took off, looking back once to make sure I was following. I was trying to, but he was moving fast.

“They have a total bromance,” Eve said, and I realized she was keeping pace with me. “Well, I’m sure you already know that.”

“I haven’t met him.”

“No? They’re practically the same person. Although Spencer is a little over-the-top to Hayden’s go-with-the-flow routine.”

I watched Hayden throw his arms around a guy and they patted each other’s backs several times before separating. I could hear their laughter from where I had slowed to a crawl about thirty feet away.

“He’d want you to meet him,” Eve said, giving me a little push.

“Oh. Right.” I really didn’t want Hayden to have to extend this lie to people he actually cared about, but with Eve standing right there I felt like I had to. I walked forward until I stood next to Hayden. For the first time I had a clear view of Spencer’s face—dark eyes, almost black in this lighting—and I nearly took a step back. I knew him. Well, not really. He went on a date with Laney once two years ago and I had doubled. The only reason I remembered him was because he’d been a total jerk, mean to her the whole date then trying to make out with her when it was over.

Hayden was in the middle of telling Spencer a story about some scene he had to do for drama. “. . . so I asked the teacher, ‘Can this be a monologue?’”

Spencer laughed. “What did the girl say?”

“She thought I was kidding.”

“And let me guess, you went along with that?”

“What else was I supposed to do?”

“I don’t know . . . maybe stop worrying about someone else’s feelings for once and worry about your grade.”

Hayden shrugged. “Whatever. It turned out fine.”

Spencer’s eyes drifted to me and I waited for him to recognize me as well but he didn’t. He just seemed to be wondering why this strange girl was interrupting their conversation. It had been two years and he hadn’t even been my date. It was understandable that he wouldn’t recognize me.

Hayden’s happy eyes met mine and they seemed to snap back to reality. “Oh, Gia. Hi.”

“Do you know this gorgeous girl?” Spencer asked.

“I do. She came with me.”

“You lucky dog. How does an average-looking guy like yourself attract a girl way out of your league?”

“I think it must be my killer charm.”

Spencer turned to me. “Would you agree with that assessment?”

“He is rather charming.”

“Hmm. I thought I had that in droves.”

Eve, who had joined us as well, gave a small laugh. “There’s a difference between charming and obnoxious, Spencer.”

“I’m sure you know that difference well,” Spencer said.

Eve raised one eyebrow. I waited for her comeback to him but both she and Spencer laughed. He rushed forward and threw her over his shoulder. “I’ll be back. I’m just going to drop this girl in the ocean as part of her graduation present.” He headed off like he was going to do that very thing.

“You better not,” she said, pounding his back. “Save me, Hayden.”

Hayden just shrugged with a big smile on his face.