6.The Problem With Pretending

Saturday morning, I woke up thinking about Liam.

More specifically, I woke up thinking about his lips.

I groaned and pulled my blanket over my face. This was ridiculous. It had been one kiss. Okay, three kisses. But the first one had been practice. The second had been practice too.

The third...

I stopped myself. There was no point thinking about it. It was fake. Liam and I were fake. That was the entire point.

My phone buzzed on the nightstand.

Liam: Morning, fake girlfriend.

I smiled before I could stop myself.

Me: Morning, fake boyfriend.

Three dots appeared almost immediately.

Liam: Team celebration tonight. You're coming.

I stared at the message.

Me: Is that an invitation or an order?

Liam: Both.

I laughed quiet

Me: Fine.

Another message appeared.

Liam: Wear something nice.

I raised an eyebrow.

Me: Why?

His response came seconds later.

Liam: Because I want everyone to know you're with me.

My stomach flipped. I stared at the screen for far too long.

Then another message appeared.

Liam: For the rumor, obviously.

Right. Of course. For the rumor.

I tossed my phone onto the bed. Why did that somehow make me feel disappointed?

---

By eight that evening, the hockey house was already packed. Music spilled through the open windows, students crowded the backyard, and practically everyone from the team seemed to be there.

I spotted Liam almost immediately. He was standing near the patio with several teammates, wearing a black T-shirt that made him look unfairly good. The moment he saw me, his face lit up. He crossed the yard without hesitation.

"You came."

"You told me to."

"I invited you."

"You ordered me."

He laughed. "Same thing."

Before I could answer, his arm slipped around my waist. The gesture felt natural. Too natural.

"You look beautiful."

I glanced down at my dress. "Thanks."

His eyes lingered on me for another second. Then he leaned closer. "Remember the rules."

I swallowed. "Public affection."

"Exactly." His hand settled against my waist. "Ready?"

I nodded.

He kissed my cheek. Someone from the team whistled. I laughed, suddenly embarrassed.

Liam grinned. "See? Convincing."

"Very convincing."

Then I noticed Jace. He was standing across the yard with a drink in his hand, watching us. Our eyes met. For a moment, neither of us looked away. Then Jace turned his attention to the conversation beside him.

Something tightened in my chest. I hated that I noticed. I hated even more that I cared.

"Blair?"

I looked at Liam. "Yeah?"

"You okay?"

"Fine."

He studied my face. "You're doing that thing."

"What thing?"

"Pretending you're fine when you're not."

I smiled weakly. "Guess you've known me too long."

"Probably." He squeezed my waist gently. "Come on. I want you to meet a few people."

For the next hour, Liam introduced me to teammates, friends, and people whose names I immediately forgot. He was attentive. Sweet. Comfortable. Everything about being with him made sense.

So why did I keep looking for Jace?

---

I found him near the kitchen. He was alone. I hesitated before walking over.

"Hey."

He looked at me. "Hey." His voice was different. Short. Detached.

"You've been avoiding me."

His eyebrow lifted. "Have I?"

"Yes."

"Maybe I'm busy."

"With what?"

"Existing."

I stared at him. "That doesn't sound like you."

A faint smile appeared. "There. That's more like it."

"What?"

"You noticing me."

My heart skipped. "I always notice you."

His expression changed. For a second, the teasing disappeared.

"Do you?"

I didn't know what to say.

Jace looked away first. "Forget it."

"Jace..."

"Blair." His voice stopped me. He stepped closer, not enough to touch me, just enough to make me aware of him. "I saw you last night."

My stomach dropped. "I know."

"You and Liam."

I nodded. "It was part of the arrangement."

"Was it?"

The question was quiet. I frowned. "Yes."

He looked directly into my eyes. "Then why didn't it look fake?"

I couldn't breathe for a second. Because I didn't know. Because Liam's kiss hadn't felt fake. Because I had liked it. Because some part of me had wanted him to kiss me again.

I opened my mouth. Nothing came out.

Jace gave a humorless little laugh. "That's what I thought."

He stepped back. I reached for his arm without thinking.

"Wait."

He looked down at my hand, then back at me. "What?"

I immediately let go. "I don't know."

His eyes softened. "That's the problem, Blair."

Before I could ask what he meant, Liam's voice came from behind me.

"There you are."

I turned. Liam was walking toward us. Jace's expression closed instantly.

"Your boyfriend was looking for you."

He walked past me.

Liam frowned. "Everything okay?"

I forced a smile. "Yeah."

But when Liam took my hand and led me back toward the party, I glanced over my shoulder. Jace was still standing there. Watching us.

And for the first time, I wondered if pretending to date Liam had created a much bigger problem than the rumor we were trying to fix.

Because maybe the real danger wasn't convincing everyone else that Liam and I were falling for each other.

Maybe it was convincing myself that I wasn't.