Chapter 18
Beth was still sitting dazed in the armchair in the snug when her three best friends rushed into the room.
Lily glanced behind her before closing the door.
‘Well?’ she asked, coming to stand in front of Beth.
‘Well what?’ asked Beth weakly as she straightened up in the chair. Her lips still felt bruised from Noah’s passionate kiss.
‘What gives?’ snapped Ella, putting her hands on her hips. ‘Do you want to tell us why you suddenly snogged the black sheep of the family in front of everyone?’
‘In front of Jeremy as well,’ replied Beth, in a pointed tone.
But her friends didn’t seem to pick up on it.
‘Who cares about him?’ spluttered Lily. ‘When have you ever done anything like that in your life?’
Beth found herself smiling, suddenly finding humour in the ridiculous situation she had put herself and Noah in. ‘Never,’ she told them. ‘But I can be naughty when I want to be.’
Hannah burst out with shocked laughter and quickly put a hand over her mouth.
‘I’m not talking about eating leftover pizza in your pyjamas for breakfast,’ carried on Ella, frowning. ‘This is serious. He’s a bad boy.’
‘He kisses like one,’ Beth found herself saying, unable to stop herself from grinning.
Her friends looked at each other before staring back at their friend.
‘Who are you?’ asked Hannah, boggle-eyed at her. ‘What’s happening here?’
‘Come on,’ urged Lily, sitting down on the opposite armchair. ‘This is serious.’
Beth laughed. ‘It’s really not,’ she told them, looking from one worried friend to the next. ‘He’s done me a favour actually. If he had been a good guy then he would have bolted or said, “What are you doing?” or something. Instead he gave me a thoroughly amazing kiss, I might add.’
‘Great,’ sighed Ella. ‘So now you’re in love with him instead of Jeremy.’
‘No!’ Beth carried on, laughing. ‘We’re faking it.’
‘You’re what?’ they all chorused.
‘It’s a ruse to stop Jeremy from being a pain,’ Beth explained. ‘He’s been all over me since he arrived and I couldn’t take it any more. But I couldn’t get rid of him so I took matters into my own hands.’
Ella’s mouth fell open and, for once, even she was lost for words.
‘But you’ve been so upset over Jeremy,’ Lily reminded her. ‘So do you really think you got the wrong end of the stick? That he’s not a cheating lowlife?’
‘I absolutely think he’s a cheating lowlife,’ said Beth. ‘That’s why I kissed Noah. As a fake distraction to get him to go away.’
‘But that kiss didn’t look fake,’ Hannah told her, frowning.
‘I know, right?’ Beth grinned. ‘It was pretty good. But that doesn’t matter.’
‘It does in my little black book,’ muttered Ella.
‘Okay, so he’s a great kisser but now what?’ asked Lily.
‘We’re just going to carry on putting on an act for Jeremy whilst he’s stuck here, that’s all,’ said Beth.
‘That’s all?’ repeated Ella, wide-eyed.
Beth gave her a firm nod. ‘I’m not going to fall in love with the guy who’s pretending to be my rebound guy,’ she told them.
‘Are you sure?’ asked Lily, sounding unconvinced.
‘Definitely,’ said Beth with a firm nod. ‘And that’s the best thing of all. Noah is completely and utterly wrong for me. He doesn’t even believe in love, can you believe it? He’s the perfect fake rebound boyfriend. At least for the night.’
‘What if it’s for two nights?’ asked Hannah.
‘Even better,’ replied Beth with a grin.
‘Well,’ said Lily, sounding somewhat shocked. ‘I can’t wait to see how this turns out.’
‘With me being happily single and Jeremy leaving to return to London as soon as this storm passes,’ said Beth. ‘And good riddance, I want him out of my life. For good this time.’
‘I’m still not sure about this fake romance with Noah,’ Hannah told her, a frown creasing her forehead.
Ella nodded. ‘I agree,’ she said.
Beth couldn’t see why her friends were so worried. To her it appeared to be the perfect solution. And with Noah willing to play along, what could possibly go wrong?