The Stand-In Boyfriend (Grove Valley High #1)(46)

The bell rings and Mr. Donaldson starts the lesson before I can question him on it further.



I’m still thinking about Abigail at the end of the day. Even when she walks past me in the hall, sending me a nasty look and then saying something under her breath that makes Sarah break out into laughter, no doubt at my expense, I’m still thinking about her, still thinking about how shitty it is when the one person you want doesn’t want you back. I sigh as I walk to my car and see Chase waiting for me there.

He grins as I approach. “Wanna come back to my house? It’s perfect pool weather and I think I can just about stomach seeing you in a bikini.”

I smile, opening my trunk and throwing my gym bag in. I turn to face him. “I’m going over to Jessie’s—we’re studying together.” I offered at lunchtime, asking him when Courtney wasn’t there, and he actually agreed. I’m looking forward to being in his company, nothing else, just spending time with my friend. Sophie isn’t even coming. She told us she had plans, but I think she knew I needed some one-on-one time with Jessie.

Annoyance covers his face, which he quickly masks. “Really?”

I nod. I don’t know how but somehow Chase has figured out that I help Jessie with his homework way more than I should, and he definitely doesn’t approve. He wasn’t lying when he said he’s perceptive.

“You know I offer you opportunities to hang out without copying your homework,” he teases me.

Maybe a week ago that comment would have made me laugh, but with the way I’ve been feeling about Abigail, today it doesn’t. “Leave Jessie out of it.”

He stops short at my tone. “What’s wrong?”

I glance around the parking lot. It’s emptying out and there’s no one near us so I take a deep breath and tell him what’s bothering me. “When we agreed to this”—I wave my hand between us because I don’t really know how to explain what this is anymore—“you made it seem like Abigail was just this problem you wanted to get rid of.”

“What’s your point?”

“My point is that you’ve been with her on and off for years, and she’s clearly a mess without you. What did you do to her? Did you even properly break up with her?”

He looks stunned. I guess he wasn’t expecting me to bring any of this up, and I probably wouldn’t have if I didn’t have so much empathy for her. The girl’s hurting, and yes, it’s not his fault if she likes him more than he likes her, but there are still ways of dealing with things and I’m beginning to think he’s taking the worst possible path.

“Where’s this coming from?”

“I just—”

“Is this about what she said to you this morning? The reason you haven’t replied to my texts all day?”

“No, Chase! I don’t care what she said to me, but I think you need to talk to her.”

“I have.”

“Well do it again, because the Abigail I know would never have gotten so wasted she was capable of throwing up, let alone doing it twice.”

He doesn’t say anything to that, and it’s because we both know I’m right. That’s not Abigail.

“It’s complicated, Livy.”

I groan. “I know, Chase. It always is with stuff like this, but I know you care about her—I can tell. I really think you should check in and make sure she’s all right.” I’m tempted to bring up the subject of them giving it another go, but he was definitely not into that idea the last time I mentioned it.

He stares at me for another minute and then slowly starts to nod his head. “You’re right. I should check in with her.”

I smile. “I think you’ll both feel better.”

“You’re a really nice person, aren’t you?”

I snort. “Yeah, yeah…”

He grins. “So should I pick you up after you’ve finished studying? We can grab some dinner and watch a movie.”

I shake my head. “Sorry, his mom is making pasta—she’s part Italian and she makes it from scratch.” I grin. “There’s no way I’m missing that.”

He doesn’t quite manage to conceal the disappointment on his face. “Okay, see you tomorrow?”

I nod. “See you tomorrow.”



Eating pasta at Jessie’s house with his mom asking me about soccer and his sisters arguing about whose turn it is to clean up is the most normal I’ve felt in a long time, and I forget all about Abigail and the guilt I’ve felt all day. I know things between Jessie and me are lot more complicated than they should be, but when it’s just the two of us, things make sense. We just understand each other, and it’s easy.

Well, it’s easy until dinner is over and we’re about to put a movie on in his room and Courtney walks in.

“Oh, Livy,” she says. “I didn’t know you were here.” A blatant lie—it’s written all over her face that she knew I was here and she didn’t like it.

“I thought you had plans with your dad,” Jessie says.

My heart drops. That’s why he agreed to hanging out—because Courtney was busy.

She shrugs. “Changed them.” She gestures toward the bed. “Is there space for me?”