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But as I thought more about it, I realized the main reason I wanted another meetup with Reed was nothing to do with our deal. I just wanted to spend more time with him, which was a clear sign I shouldn’t. After tonight, I needed some time to try to regroup. The line between what was real and what was fake in our relationship had blurred a little. And I didn’t want to see Reed again until that haziness disappeared and the line became crystal clear once more.
I quickly opened the app, surprised to find that not only was Reed Darling now following me but he’d also tagged me in a picture. It was the one Paige had taken of the two of us at the dinner table. It was the perfect photo. We both looked so happy, and below the picture, Reed had shared a two-word caption: “My girl.” It made my heart leap into my throat, but it immediately plummeted right back down to earth. The caption wasn’t real.
stared at the photo and the boy in the center of it far longer than I should have.
“You like her, don’t you?” Mia said, taking me by surprise. “Uh, of course, I do. She’s my girlfriend.” “Fake girlfriend,” Mia corrected. I couldn’t help but roll my eyes. “Not you too.” “See! You totally like her.” She gasped. “And not just as a fake girlfriend.” “Will you please not squeal that so loud?” I glanced around the room again as I tried to quiet her. There was still barely anyone in here, but you could never be too careful. “Sorry.” She lowered her voice. “So . . . ?”
“Okay, I like her,” I said. “Hell, I more than like her, but she’s not interested in dating another hockey player.” “No, she’s not interested in dating someone who will break her heart,” Mia clarified. “If you’re the kind of guy she can count on, the hockey stuff won’t matter.” I swallowed, desperately hoping she was right. Would Violet really consider me if I could prove I’d never hurt her? If I could prove she was the most important thing to me? “You’re pretty much the last guy I’d tell her to go for,” Mia continued. “Gee, thanks.” “But she seems to disagree.”
“I’ve caught her looking at that photo you posted of the two of you at dinner several times this week. She’s definitely feeling something.” I didn’t want to put too much weight on Mia’s words. My head told me that Violet would never let herself break her own golden rule. But my heart didn’t seem to care. It was like it had been given the puck with an opportunity for a breakaway. There was no defense in its way, and it was off and racing toward the goal.
“You can call me whatever you want, Sunshine. As long as you call me yours.”
