Fake It 'Til You Break It

“And?”

“And...” Her eyes widen, but she has no idea what to say, so she goes with the most obvious response. “He’ll think we’re dating!”

I level her with a bored look. “That’s the last thing he’ll think.”

Her head pulls back, and like a brat, she crosses her arms. “Because Nico Sykes would never waste his time on a girl like me, right?”

“Wrong.” My stare moves to hers. “Because Nico Sykes could fuck you either way.”

She sneers. “You—”

“Stop talking,” I interrupt her, not interested in hearing her crybaby shit over that idiot. “I did you a favor, now you won’t have to try so hard. Sit down, play on your phone or watch whatever I put on, something.”

“Like I trust you enough to sit on your bed with you.”

My eyes jump back to hers and she keeps her glare strong a minute, I’ll give her that, but slowly, it wipes away and she looks to the wall.

She trusts me enough, just like she did when we were younger.

We might not have been friendly over the last few years, but I’m not some fuckin’ stranger to her.

“Sit.”

She scoffs, moving for the door instead.

“You leave, he’ll think you’re a lousy lay and couldn’t even help me get it up.”

“Or,” she snaps back. “He’ll think you’re a minute man and be dying to show he can hang longer.”

A loud laugh leaves me and she rolls her eyes.

“D, he knows better than that, but do what you want. Just don’t say I didn’t warn you.”

“It’s not like he’s standing out there waiting to see when I leave. I’m sure he’s in his room by now, you know, with the same girl you were fucking not long ago.”

My muscles tense.

Little does she know that’s a perfect fucking example of what I’ve explained to her. Why I gave her that insight, I don’t fucking know. I’ll have to fix this and quick.

I manage to lift my shoulders. “Maybe, but I guarantee there’re still others out there. Word travels. Want to be the girl known as the tease who loads but can’t pull the trigger and cuts before release?”

Her glare gets a little more profound.

She stands there for a solid five minutes, probably playing every fucking situation over and over again in her head, before she growls, tosses down her little bag and flops on the bed beside me.

She twists her body, facing the opposite wall. “My room is somehow right next to yours. I should have left the damn adjoining door unlocked, and I’d be in my own right now.”

“Too bad for you.”

“I can’t stand you,” she growls, angrily hitting the pillow to get comfortable.

“Don’t care.” I toss the remote to the side, lay back and close my eyes. “And unless I’ll be waking up with your lips wrapped around my dick, don’t fall asleep in here.”

She gasps and I smirk.

That’ll shut her up.“Demi, wait up!”

I pause mid-step, my head snapping over my shoulder to find Alex jogging toward me, just as Nico said he would.

That alone is almost enough for me to be instantly annoyed.

Almost.

Alex grows closer, so I spin to face him better.

“Hey.” He grins, running a hand through his blond hair.

“Hey.” I laugh, pushing my sunglasses up on my head.

“Didn’t see much of you last night,” he says as his hands find his hips.

A slight frown takes over – clearly my efforts were more than lost on him.

I brush it off, allowing a smile to take over. “Me and the girls hung out on the beach before dinner, then the dance floor called my name.”

His grin deepens. “You like dancing, huh?”

My mouth opens but nothing comes out.

Is he for real?

He has to know I’m on the dance team at the very least. I mean... right?

“So uh...” he begins, pointing to the barstool area of the coffee hut I was headed toward. “I was about to eat, are you grabbing something, too?”

“Just a coffee to bring me back to life. I’m gonna lay out a while, I’m exhausted.”

He chuckles, but it’s quickly cut off when his eyes fly over my shoulder.

“’Course you are.”

My muscles lock with Nico’s intruding voice, and I’m stiff as a damn board as he wraps his long arms around my middle, not so gently tugging me against him in a way that can only be his show of dominance. He kisses my cheek and my skin tingles in embarrassment.

I stand frozen, too shocked to do or say a damn thing.

Course, Nico has to go for that extra point.

“If you weren’t, that would mean I didn’t do my job last night,” he mumbles near my ear, his face dipping into my neck and my stomach muscles grow tight. “And we both know that’s not true.”

What the hell is he doing?

I chance a glance at Alex who eyes me curiously. He pointedly looks from Nico to me and I so badly want to tear myself away right now, but the quizzical glare suddenly taking over Alex has me stuck.