Blessed by the Fake Boyfriend

“Michelle?” He took a step closer, his voice softening. “Will you go with me?”

Her lips tried to form the words no, but her heart wouldn’t let them. Confusion roiled inside her head. Everything would be so easy if only it wasn’t Joseph standing in front of her, looking at her like that. It killed her. She didn’t know what to do. There was only one thing she could do.

She turned around and she ran.

Chapter Eight

Joseph stumbled back into the arts festival, his legs feeling like jelly. In his arms he carried Michelle’s wooden sign that he’d picked up for her. He couldn’t believe she’d just turned tail and ran like that. His heart had begged her to choose him. To tell him that she was falling for him, too. But she’s just stared at him until he felt his heart physically breaking. And now, she was nowhere to be seen.

“Stupid, stupid, stupid,” he grumbled to himself.

An old woman with silver curls examining a display of jellies looked up at him, startled. He mumbled an apology and pushed past her. He needed to find Michelle. Make this right. Tell her he had a lapse of judgment. Or an aneurysm. Something to make it better.

He wished he could take it all back. The festival, the parade, the carnival, and even bumping into her in his father’s study. This was all proving to be the biggest mistake of his life. What was he thinking, agreeing to Michelle’s plan? He’d been into her for as long as he could remember. There had always been something about her. Something different and beautiful.

As a kid, he used to leave flowers in her lunch box, hoping she’d like them. In high school, he’d been too nervous to even speak to her, let alone ask her out. He’d watched her from afar, warning off jerks who found her in their radar. Protecting her.

It was always clear that she had feelings for Garret. His biggest fear was going after her, only to have his brother go after her as well. He knew even then he would lose out. That Michelle would choose Garret over him. So he’d stayed away.

He thought those feelings for her had long since faded, but the last two days had brought them raging back. Along with his inability to maintain his cool around her. He’d practically ordered her to forget his brother and take him to the ball instead. What kind of guy did that? A jerk, that was who. A jerk who threw his own little brother under the bus.

Scrubbing his face with his hand, he leaned against the wall of the shed and mentally berated himself. He should’ve known better. Michelle had been in love with Garret forever. She didn’t want him.

She didn’t love him.

“Hey bro, you seen Michelle?” Garret came waltzing up, his Coke in hand.

He had the careless and free vibe that made girls go crazy for him. Here he was, about to ask the most amazing woman in the world to the Harvest Ball and he wasn’t even breaking a sweat. Joseph had never been envious of his little brother until now. And boy, did his heart hurt with the weight of that jealousy.

“She ran off,” Joseph said, pushing the wooden sign into Garret’s chest. “But when you find her, will you give her this? She forgot it.”

Garret took it and frowned. “You leaving?”

“Yeah, I’ve had enough of crowds to last me for the rest of the month.” He scanned the room, hoping against hope to catch a glimpse of Michelle’s golden hair. No luck. “I’m going to call it a day.”

“Back to the study it is?”

“Yeah. Have fun at the ball with Michelle.”

“Are you sure you don’t want to go?” Garret rose up to his highest height and looked over the crowd. “I’m sure I could find someone for you to take. I heard Leslie Brown is back in town. The two of you might like a reunion.”

Joseph made a face. The last person he wanted to take to the Harvest Ball was Leslie Brown. She’d probably ditch him the second they got there. Just like she did when he took her to his senior prom. Been there, done that. And he didn’t need to be in the same room as Michelle and his brother, watching them dance together. Knowing what was running through their minds. The thought was far too painful. He needed to be as far away from that as possible.

“I think I’m better off staying home,” he said. “I’ve got a police manual to study, if I’m going to make the squad. I’m going to pick up a procedural book on the way home.”

“Girls love a man in uniform,” Garret said with a grin. “You’re going to have to beat them off with a stick after you join the force.”

He tried to laugh at his joke, but there was only one woman he cared about in that moment. And there was no way she’d be coming after him, uniform or not.

“Just have fun tonight,” he said, taking a step backwards. “Treat her well.”

Garret placed a hand on his shoulder, halting him from walking off. “Are you sure you’re okay with me asking Michelle? If there’s even a tiny part of you that’s into her, dude, I won’t go there.”

Joseph grimaced, his gut twisting. As much as the possessive green monster in him wanted to snarl and tell his little brother to keep his paws off, that wasn’t what Michelle wanted. She’d been gearing up for Garret to ask her to the ball. He couldn’t disappoint her. She deserved to be happy. Even if it killed him.

“No, you need to ask her.” A trickle of hot sweat went down the back of his neck. It was too hot out here. He needed to get away. “She’s been into you since we were kids.”

Garret pulled back, an incredulous smile growing on his face. “Really? I never knew.”