Chapter 5 #2
He studies my face for a long moment, then nods. “I’ll be in touch.”
I watch him jog down my front steps and onto the sidewalk, where Mrs. Faraday is still puttering around her garden. This time, when he waves, she gives him a small, hesitant wave back. The town is watching us already, drawing its own conclusions. Exactly what I wanted… isn’t it?
“Okay,” Nikki says, closing the door behind us. “What the hell was that about?”
I make my way back to the kitchen, needing something to do with my hands. “What was what about?”
“Don’t play dumb.” She follows me, settling onto one of the barstools. “Please tell me you’re not thinking about getting involved with him again.”
“Again?” I freeze in the act of loading my coffee mug into the dishwasher. “What do you mean, again?”
She gives me the older sister side-eye. “Callie, I wasn’t blind then, and I’m not now. I saw how you moped around for months after he left town. I saw how you jumped every time the phone rang.”
My cheeks burn. “That was a long time ago.”
“Was it? Because from where I’m sitting, it looks pretty current.”
I slam the dishwasher door harder than necessary. “Nothing is going on between Luke and me.”
“But you want there to be.”
“No. I…” I stop, because lying to Nikki has never been easy. She’s always been able to see right through me. “It’s complicated.”
“Complicated how?”
I sink onto the stool across from her, suddenly exhausted and desperate for somebody to talk to. The words are out before I can second-guess myself. “I may have proposed that we fake a relationship.”
“You what?” Nikki’s voice rises an octave. “Please tell me you’re joking.”
“It makes sense,” I say defensively. “He needs to rehabilitate his image if he’s going to be sheriff, and I need to show this town that I’m not some pathetic victim who can’t get over her ex. And perhaps if people stop pitying me, I’ll finally stop pitying myself.”
“So, you thought the best way to do that would be to pretend to date your teenage crush?”
“He’s not my…” I start, then pause, neither confirming nor denying. “Look, it’s just for show. A few public appearances, holding hands at the farmer’s market. Nothing serious.”
She stares at me like I’ve lost my mind. “Do you hear yourself? You’re talking about fake dating a man who clearly still affects you, hoping it will make your ex-boyfriend and best friend jealous. What could possibly go wrong?”
“Former best friend. And it’s not about making them jealous,” I insist. “It’s about moving on. Showing everyone, including myself, that I’m fine.”
“Are you? Fine, I mean?”
The question hits harder than I expected.
I love my job, I have a nice home, my sister, and friends who care about me.
On the surface, my life looks pretty good, even though there’s been some horrible bumps in the road.
But there’s still a hollowness in my chest when I see Harper and Kirk together, and a voice in my head that insinuates I’m not worth fighting for.
This plan isn’t just about proving something to the town. It’s about proving something to myself.
“I’m working on it,” I say finally.
Nikki reaches across the counter and covers my hand with hers. “I love you, but this plan of yours is going to blow up in your face. And when it does, you’re going to be the one left picking up the pieces.”
“Maybe,” I admit. “But it’s time I stop being the good girl who always does the right thing. Maybe it’s time I do something for me, consequences be damned.”
“Even if those consequences include getting your heart broken again?” Her soft words are full of sisterly concern.
The way Luke said my name, like it meant something, the way he looked at me, like I meant something.
“Even then,” I whisper.
She sighs, squeezing my hand. “Just be careful, okay? Don’t make it easy for him to hurt you again.”
After she leaves, I stand at my living room window, looking out at the quiet street. Luke is long gone, but the lingering effects of his presence created a charge in the air, like his footsteps left an imprint I can’t shake.
Maybe Nikki is right. Perhaps this is a terrible idea. But for the first time in months, I’m taking control of my life instead of just letting things happen to me.
My phone buzzes with a text message, and my pulse skips when I see his name on the screen.
Luke:
Talked to Harper.
She seemed uncomfortable when I mentioned seeing you today.
Your plan may have merit after all.
I’m still not sure how I feel about hurting my sister, though, even if the end may justify the means.
I stare at the message for a long moment, my pulse quickening. His words give me the encouragement I need to keep pushing forward with this crazy scheme. I type back.
Me:
Told you this would work.
Are you in?
The response comes quickly.
Yeah. I’m in.
But we do this my way.
What does that mean?
It means if we’re going to convince people we’re together, we need to make it believable.
Agreed.
What did you have in mind?
Dinner Friday night.
Somewhere public.
I’ll pick you up at seven.
I hesitate, my fingers hovering over the keyboard. This is it, the point of no return. Once I say yes, we’re committed to this charade, with all the complications and potential heartbreak that comes with it.
But as I think about the way people whisper behind my back, I know I can’t back down now.
I’ll pick you up.
Fine. It’s a date.
You can pick me up at seven.
He means a fake date. Right?
I set my phone aside, my stomach flipping with a mix of dread and anticipation. Friday night, I’ll be sitting across from Luke Caldwell, where everyone can see us, pretending to fall in love with him all over again.
The scariest part? I’m not sure how much pretending I’ll need to do.