Chapter 14 – Pretending You Are Mine Novel

I glance over my shoulder and notice he’s already knocked out, so I keep my back toward him, remove my bra, and then slip my crop top over my head. I glance back at him again just to make sure he’s not looking and change out of my leggings and into a pair of sweats.

Comfortable, I slip on my slippers and turn to look at him again. His thick chest rises and falls as he curls into one of my pillows. The scruff on his face looks thicker as he lies there, his arm draped over his eyes. It’s no wonder Sarah was blatantly flirting with him tonight. He’s incredibly attractive, not to mention very fit. With his arm lifted, a small patch of skin on his flat, muscular stomach is exposed. And as I stare at him, I wonder if I would have flirted if I had randomly seen him at the bar that night rather than using him to prove a point.

Probably not.

I would have thought him out of my league for many reasons. One of the biggest ones being that he seems too complicated. Too complex. Just from the pinch in his brow and the tightness of his jaw, you can tell he’s dealing with things. Today was a good example of that.

One moment he was showing me off, being the attentive boyfriend every girl dreams of, and then the next, he was aloof, staring at another woman, and completely shut down. If that doesn’t scream red flag, I don’t know what does.

Good thing I’m not attached.

Good thing I can let the day roll off me even though it was embarrassing.

Phone in one hand and e-reader in the other, I head out of my dorm and to the community space, where I text Ross.

Ollie: I’m assuming you’re not home?

I open my e-reader and settle into my chair just as my phone buzzes next to me.

Ross: Out with Zachary getting dinner. Everything okay?

Ollie: Yup, just checking in.

Ross: You sure, because you went to that hockey thing today, right? How did it go?

Ollie: I can talk to you about it later.

Ross: Zachary had to take a work call. Please, lay it on me.

Ollie: Okay. It was good. Everyone was really nice. I had a lot of fun until . . .

Ross: Oh no, did the ex show up?

Ollie: She did, and Silas just about froze me out after that. I’ve never seen anything like it. It was as if he was completely transfixed by her. And oh my God, Ross, if I was actually Silas’s girlfriend, I’d be hurting hard right now. She’s so beautiful. And the way he looked at her. I actually got kind of embarrassed by his behavior because no one but us knew we were fake dating, so they probably thought he was hung up on her.

Ross: Oh fuck, really? Why would he want you to help him out when that’s how he’s going to act?

Ollie: No idea, but it was . . . embarrassing. And then his friend Pacey pulled him to the side, most likely to talk about Sarah. After that, we left and didn’t say a word to each other.

Ross: He didn’t say anything? Brutal.

Ollie: Not until we got back to my dorm. He followed me in, and now he’s sleeping in my bed.

Ross: [side-eye emoji] What? He’s sleeping in your bed?

Ollie: Yeah, he was exhausted, and I’m pretty sure seeing Sarah drained it out of him.

Ross: That makes sense. How are you feeling?

Ollie: Confused. Grateful I don’t have feelings for him. Glad this is all just an arrangement.

Ross: Is the arrangement worth it?

I think about it. I could go back to my room and call it all off. But then again, it’s not like I’m trying to win his affection. This is about business. He’s helping me with Roberts, and I’m helping him . . . who knows what I’m helping him do. Didn’t feel like much today. Either way, I’m not sure I’m ready to end this just yet, especially since Roberts made this more difficult for me.

Ollie: It is right now.

Ross: As long as you don’t get hurt.

Ollie: How could I get hurt?

Ross: You already said he embarrassed you today.

Ollie: But it wasn’t personal. It was more of a pretend girlfriend embarrassment.

Ross: You’re making excuses for him.

Ollie: No, I’m not. He acted like a dick the second half of our time together. There’s no denying it.

Ross: Okay, I just don’t want you getting hurt.

Ollie: Trust me, not possible.

Ross: Okay. Well, Zachary is back, and he was just telling me all about his geology class. This is what happens when you ditch me for a hockey player, I end up taking out our friend who likes to talk about rocks.

Ollie: I’ll make it up to you. Love you.

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SILAS

A door clicks shut in the distance, stirring me partially awake. I open my blurry eyes and catch Ollie walking out of her bathroom.

Her hair is drawn up into a bun on the top of her head, and she’s now wearing a baggy pair of sweats and a crop top with no bra. She looks incredibly comfortable and sexy at the same time.

“Oh, you’re awake,” she says as she stops midway into her room.

“Barely,” I mumble. “What time is it?”

“Ten,” she says.

“Shit.” I rub my forehead. “I’m sorry.” I swing my legs over the end of the bed, and I stand, feeling so fucking sore that I groan.

“You okay?” she asks as she entwines her hands together.

“Fucking sore.” I hobble over to her bathroom, where I shut the door and take a piss. When I’m washing my hands, I glance up at my bloodshot eyes in the mirror and the frown on my face. The frown that appeared the moment I saw Sarah.

I thought I was prepared to see her. But I was so fucking wrong.

The moment my eyes found her, this dreadful feeling sucked all the air from my lungs, and I froze.

I can barely remember anything that she said other than that whatever she was saying was fake.

It was all fake.

She didn’t mean to come work at the Agitators? Bull-fucking-shit.

And the fact that she dyed her hair blonde, how I loved it, and wore the bodysuit I fucking loved on her? It was all premeditated to fuck with my head.

That’s exactly what happened too. She fucked with my head to the point that I kept looking back at her to see if she was really that fucking evil. And she was.

Evil . . . but also fucking pretty.

And I hate that I even thought that.

I hate that I felt a little something when she hugged me.

I hate that her smile thawed a part of my heart.

I hated everything about the goddamn interaction.

But most importantly, when Pacey pulled me to the side and told me to get my shit together, I hated that he pointed out that I was ignoring Ollie.

And he was right. I was. Because I didn’t know how to act around her. I’m not good at making an ex jealous and flaunting a new girlfriend—even though she’s fake. I felt like Sarah was watching my every move.

I push my hand through my hair, knowing I need to talk with Ollie. She deserved to be treated better.

My mouth feels dry, so I wet my finger with toothpaste. I quickly wipe down my teeth, then swish around her mouthwash for thirty seconds before spitting it out. That feels fucking better.

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