CHAPTER 20
He scowls at me. “Millie?”
“I’m so sorry!” I blurt, mortified I attempted to hurt Bennett. “Incredibly sorry. I got scared and just reacted. I didn’t think.” My hands hover over his body. “Did I hurt you with the lantern? Oh my heck, I’m so sorry and incredibly embarrassed. I can’t believe it was you!” Suddenly, I smack his arms off my shoulders. “Why didn’t you say anything when I screamed? And where is your flashlight?”
He pulls tiny headphones from his ears. Music—base—thumps in a fast beat from the pods. “I’m listening to music and didn’t hear you. And the moon is bright enough that I don”t need a flashlight.”
“And you didn’t see me dart into the trees?” I stab in the direction where I hid.
“No. I was keeping an eye on the ground for exposed tree roots.”
I turn away from him, wrapping my arms around my torso. “Oh.” What else can I say? He scared the crap out of me but hadn’t meant to. My heart pounds so hard, my entire body reverberates with each thump. “I’ll grab my stuff and head out.” Picking up the lantern, I click it on. Relief floods through me when the light shines as brightly as before.
Either I suck at hitting, or this lantern is made of steel.
“I’m sorry I frightened you. Are you okay?” he asks.
Besides my pulse racing? “Yeah. I’m fine.” I take a step, leaving for the safety of my room.
“Wait—”
I glance at Bennett, who’s staring out across the lake. Is he purposely refusing to look my way? Can’t say I blame him. I smacked him with a hard object, then jumped on him. “Yeah?” This is his spot to be alone. I can give him his space back.
“You don’t have to leave.”
I’m torn. I’m not ready to leave, but being here with Bennett isn’t a good idea. He’s making it really hard to stick to my promise of staying away from guys. Especially him.
I’m undecided, not leaving, but not sitting down again when Bennett says, “Dancing was awful.” He runs a hand across the back of his neck. “The dating scene—” He blows out a breath. “How do you do it?”
How, as in ways to go about it, or how, as in it’s horrible and why do we put ourselves through it? “That’s why I don’t.”
He inhales like what I said is the missing piece to an equation he’s solving. “That’s it!” He turns, looking at me. The darkness conceals his features, but his voice is hopeful. “Millie?”
“Yeah?”
“I’m about to ask something of you that is absolutely absurd, and if it wasn’t for my sanity and emotional well-being, I wouldn’t dare, but after tonight I’m desperate.”
The hair on the back of my neck stands on end. What could he possibly need from me? “Umm… I’m not really sure how to respond to that.”
He stands, shoving his hands in his jacket pockets. “First, I want you to know what you’ll get out of this.”
He’s got my nerves and curiosity piqued. “I’m listening.”
“You mentioned you hadn’t done a lot of things before and you hoped to cross off a bunch of firsts, correct?”
I nod. “Yes.”
“Whatever you want, I’ll do it with you.”
Whatever I want? That’s big. What if I want a helicopter ride or macarons imported from France? “And what is it you need from me in return?”
He hesitates. Paces back and forth.
My chest tightens. “Spit it out, Bennett. You’re making me anxious.”
“My mom and Evie have been relentless in telling me I need to start dating again. I tried dancing tonight, and it was horrendous. I’m not ready to move on from Jen, no matter what they say. I need—”
He sinks onto one of the wooden seats. His voice is pleading when he asks, “Will you be my fake girlfriend for the summer?”
I stumble back a step, stunned at his request. Out of all the possible favors he could ask, this wasn’t on the list. I open my mouth to respond, then close it again. How can I be around him pretending to be his girlfriend and not get my own attraction tangled up in the process? Is helping him worth the price I’ll have to pay? But him ignoring me for a few days sucked, and if I can help him, especially with his mom and Evie, I want to. They’re stubborn and won’t give up pestering him.
Ahh! I’m torn.
“Can I think about it?”
He has no idea how difficult his request is for me.
“Yeah. Of course. It’s a big ask.”
Ginormous.
Ready to change the subject, I bring it back to the person we have in common. “I hope Evie had fun at the club and she’s not too mad I didn’t meet Eric tonight.”
Bennett shrugs. “She didn’t mention anything.”
“Did you meet Eric?”
“I met him, but I didn’t talk to him.”
How will I know if he’s a good guy or not? “Who did you talk to?”
He rests his head on the back of the chair. “Three different women.”
My stomach burns like it’s made of butane and someone lit a match. He spoke with multiple women? If I went, would he have talked to me? Asked me to dance?
Oh jeez. And this jealousy right here is a great reason why I shouldn’t be his fake girlfriend. But… if I were, then he wouldn’t be talking to anyone else. Hmm…
He side-eyes me. “It was awkward, unsettling, and frustrating. I can’t do that again. But I’m tired of telling my family I’m not ready and them not listening. I figure this situation is a win-win for us both.”
“Thank you for explaining the why behind it. I promise to get back to you soon.”
“Thanks, Mils. If you do this for me, I promise to be the best fake boyfriend you’ve ever had.”
Yeah, and that”s the problem. What if I become too attached? But on the other side, what if being around Bennett helps me see what it is I should be looking for in a long-term partner? What if he can teach me how to find the right kind of guy instead of the scum I find at bars?
Sitting on the stump next to him, I ask, “Going out or staying in?”
“This”—he waves his hand in front of him—“is more my speed.”
Mine too. “I like going out every now and then. It’s fun to be around a bunch of friends, letting loose, and not worrying about anything. But most of the time, I prefer to stay in watching a movie, journaling, doing a puzzle, or painting my nails. It’s why I told Evs I couldn’t go tonight.”
He gasps in fake shock. “So you weren’t working? You lied to your best friend?”
I wag a finger. “No, I did not lie to her. I did some brainstorming.” For all of ten minutes.
“Are you okay working with my mom?”
“Is there a reason I shouldn’t be?”
He holds his hands up defensively. “That’s not what I meant.”
“What did you mean?”
“Sometimes lines get blurred between family and working. What if in a few weeks you’re annoyed you can’t get a break from your boss?”
He brings up a valid point. One I haven”t thought of. But this house is massive. If I need time away from Becca, surely I can find it. “I appreciate you looking out for me. If that does happen, I’ll give you a code word and you can rescue me.”
He chuckles. “What’s the code word?”
His laugh is deep and rich, just like melted fondue on my tongue. I shiver as the sound once again settles into my soul.
“Hmm.” I tap my chin as I ponder different ideas. The word needs to be something I don’t say often, but not so crazy that if I say it, Becca doesn’t think I’m psychotic and fires me. “Wheaties?”
“Wheaties?” He laughs. “Like the breakfast of champions?”
I shrug. “Yeah.”
“You think you’ll be able to randomly bring up Wheaties in a conversation?”
“I’m a marketing manager. Pretty sure I can come up with something.”
He holds his hand out to me. “Deal.”
I slide my palm into his and shake it. The hard part is letting go. It’s like holding a hot stone. I’m all nice and toasty. Add the musk of Bennett and his strong hand enveloping mine, and before I can stop myself I say, “Besides checking off items from my bucket list, I also need relationship advice from you. If you’ll do that, I’ll pretend to date you.”
No way I said that. Stuff a sock in your mouth, Mils! You’re insane and asking for trouble.
“I don’t know how much help I’ll be in the relationship department, but yes, I’ll do what I can. You’re amazing, Mils. Thank you!” Bennett pulls me into a quick hug. I don’t have time to process how I feel or the enormity of what I’ve just done.
“Yeah. Sure.” Stretching my arms out wide, I fake a massive yawn. “Can we work the details out later? I’m tired and I need to hit the hay before I turn into a pumpkin.”
“Paddleboarding tomorrow morning? We can talk without anyone listening in.”
“Sounds like a date.”
“Our first.”
“Our first fake date,” I say, more as a reminder to myself than anything.
I must focus on what I’m getting out of this arrangement and not my lust for Bennett.
Heaven help me.