Page 123 of Faking it For Summer

“I don’t know, Luke. I don’t know anything anymore.”

chapter twenty-four

Mia

The room feels cold, like I’m in Antarctica or the North Pole or something. I can’t stop my body from shivering. I don’t know how long I’m going to walk around the room with this fake smile plastered on my face.

Juniper darts glances at me every few moments, and when she’s not looking at me, she’s looking at Rafe like there’s something there, and I wonder if there is. I wonder if another one of my best friends is keeping secrets from me. I want to ask her, but I’m so caught up in what I’m going through with Luke that I don’t have the energy.

Wendy and Carter are on the dance floor, enraptured in each other like there’s no one else but them. She’s laughing at something he’s whispering to her, and I’m thrilled to see her so happy.

Preston is standing in the corner, chatting with Louisa, and I wonder what their relationship is like—being fake married can’t be any better than fake dating, but they don’t have the history that Luke and I have. I am curious if they are actually falling in love or if they are able to keep that distance between them. I’ll have to speak to Louisa and find out. Maybe we are in closer situations than I thought.

And then there is Gigi—beautiful, ethereal—and Davis. He is an intense man, handsome as all could be, and it’s easy to see how much he wants her. We all can see it. But Gigi seems oblivious. Maybe as oblivious as I was to the fact that Luke had been keeping secrets from me.

I feel like a fool. I feel like my entire friendship with him has been a farce, and I feel guilty because it isn’t like he is the only one who has been holding things back. He doesn’t know that I love him. That’s why I am probably acting crazier and more emotional than I would normally be. He doesn’t know that being with him, being around him, makes me feel things I’ve never felt before.

My heart stutters a beat when I notice him heading back to me. There’s a cautious expression on his face, like he’s scared I’m going to shout at him again.

“I come in peace,” he says, handing a small box to me.

“What is this?” I can’t help but smile.

“I know you like parties, and you like gifts, so this is a little gift from me to you.”

“What is it?”

“Open it and see,” he says.

I open it slowly, and then I stare at the most beautiful silver bangle.

“This is gorgeous.”

“I bought it for you from New York. I was going to give it to you at a later date, but I figured maybe now would be a good time, seeing as you’re kind of mad at me.” He shrugs. “I don’t want you to be mad at me.”

“I can’t stay mad at you, Luke, but when the night is finished, we definitely need to have a conversation.”

“We will have that conversation.” He grins at me. “Why don’t you put the bracelet on? I had a feeling you would love it.”

“It’s gorgeous. Thank you.”

“Yeah, I wanted to get you something that I didn’t think you’d be able to get yourself.”

“What does that mean?”

“It just means that it was a really expensive bracelet, and I knew you would love it, but you would be unlikely to buy it for yourself, so I wanted to give it to you.”

“So, this is about money again? Poor me, I can’t afford expensive jewelry?”

“It’s got nothing to do with money. It has to do with the fact that I wanted to get you something that I knew you would love.” He lets out a long sigh. “Are you really going to hold that against me?”

“I am trying not to hold it against you. I just—I’m sorry. This is just really complicated. I guess this is why friends don’t normally sleep together because it does mess things up.”

“It doesn’t have to mess things up,” he says.

“Mia,” Rex says, nodding, as he sidles up to us. I can’t stand being around him, and I’m surprised that he doesn’t make another rude comment to me. Then he looks at Luke. “Hello, Luke.”

“Rex,” Luke says.