Page 28 of The Best I Never Had

I know it was all fake, but the sarcasm that laces her tone when she puts air quotes around “old feelings” pinches behind my breastbone. It’s not fair to her. She agreed to be my fake girlfriend for a weekend, then my fake ex for the week. I can’t push my confusing feelings on her.

So instead, I say, “That may work. Me seeking you out and you trying to avoid me. Kind of plays into the narrative.”

She tilts her head to the side, one curl falling across her eyes. “True.”

I can’t tell if there’s hesitation in her voice or if I’m just hearing what I want to hear, but it doesn’t matter. At the end of the day, she’s going to make the best choice for Addy.

“Starting tomorrow, we avoid each other?” she asks.

I nod. “Simple enough. I’ll come over to you a couple more times to sell it to my mom but then leave you alone from there.”

“Yeah, right. That’s good. The easiest way to avoid drama.”

“The best thing for Harrison and Addy.”

“And it’s their special week,” she adds, like she’s convincing herself of our plan’s merits, and it soothes some of the sting.

“Exactly.”

Our gazes collide, and there’s so much that I want to say. That I loved spending the day with her. That I hate that she’ll be near, and I won’t be able to talk to her. That even though everything with us has been fake, I hope she knows how special she is.

But all that will do is make this thing more uncomfortable.

“I guess this is goodbye, then,” I say instead.

She looks away, a smirk gracing those full lips. “Thanks for the memories.”

“Even though they weren’t so great?”

She laughs again, and I’ve never felt more accomplished.

“We should get back to the game,” she says, standing and dusting her hands off on her shorts.

We walk back in silence. And later that night, as I lay in bed trying not to think about Thea, I kick myself for not stealing those last few minutes with her.

Chapter 9

THEA

The chilly mountain air brushes over my skin as we walk through the vines the next morning. This is the only place I’ve been besides Florida, but I can’t imagine anywhere more beautiful. The surrounding mountains stretch out before us, smooth rolling peaks that remind me of the Atlantic Ocean on a clear day.

We’re a small group compared to yesterday’s family-wide game, and it’s like I’m under a microscope. Diana’s eyes have been boring into me for an hour.

Owen’s uncle talks us through the history of the grapes, encouraging us to grab one off the vine and pop it into our mouths. I snatch it greedily, raising it to my nose to inhale the gorgeous, fruity smell before slipping it between my lips … and immediately regret it. The skin is thick, and when it bursts in my mouth, the bitter taste takes root in a way I don’t think I’ll ever get rid of. I share a look with Addy, whose face reflects what I’m feeling.

I spit it out on the ground before I can stop myself. If this is what the grapes taste like, what sort of wine will we be subjected to this week? When I look back at Addy, her face is horrified.

“What are you doing?” she cries out, looking around at the group before her eyes land on Dennis and she forces a smile, folding her hands in front of her. “The grape was delicious.”

The group watches us for a handful of seconds before bursting into laughter.

“Wine grapes are notoriously bitter,” Dennis says when he gets control of himself. “We wouldn’t eat them. And if we need to taste them, we do what Thea did—take a sample to test and then spit it out. Sure you’re not an Ellis?”

Dennis gives me a wink, and I feel an overwhelming sense of relief that yet another screwup on my part is working out in my favor. Addy has her fakest smile on, and I know she’s not ready to forgive me for doing something so rude, even with the family laughing about it.

“I’m sorry,” I whisper to her.

“It’s fine, Thea,” she says, but the use of my full name lands like a bee sting—sharp, quick, and way more painful than it has any right to be.