Page 10 of Blue Line

“Just admit that you enjoy it.”

I chuckle. “I don’t not enjoy it, and there’s nothing to apologize for,” I repeat her words back to her because they’re true.

“It hurt a lot to see Henry happy and engaged. Not that I’m still in love with him, or ever was.” She frowns. “Every guy I date, the next woman he dates is the one he gets engaged to. It was hard to see today.” She pauses. “Maybe because I just came back from being surrounded by all the happy couples. My brother. Mads. Aubs.” I start to tell her there are plenty of single guys on the team, including me, but she shakes her head, and I remain quiet. She stares up at the night sky, and when she speaks again, it’s so soft I have to lean closer to hear. “I feel cursed. Like I’m doomed to be alone and am never going to be good enough for someone to want me permanently.” Her words gut me, and I suck in a breath. She turns toward me, and I swear she has tears in her eyes. I ball my hands up to keep from brushing them away. “So I got a little carried away and told my ex I was engaged. I’m sorry if I put you in a weird position. I can make an excuse for why my fiancé isn’t around.”

“Hadley.” My voice comes out gruff, and I clear my throat. “I said I’d be your fake fiancé. Whatever you need from me.”

She takes another sip of beer before saying, “We’ll have to act as though we’re in love. Can you do that, Reynolds?”

“I think I can, Abbott. We’ve established that we don’t dislike each other. Pretending we’re in love won’t be that hard.” At least I know it won’t be for me. My fear is I’ll overdo it, and she’ll realize I really like her. Or worse, Holt will find out I have a crush to end all crushes on his little sister, and he’ll be pissed. “Now, are you going to share that?” I tip my chin toward the bottle in her hand. “Or do I need to get another one?”

She clutches it to her chest. “This is mine now.”

With a shake of my head, I push my chair away from the table and get to my feet.

“Wait, I was kidding. You can have some.” She holds it out to me.

I grin. “If my fiancée wants to steal my beer, I’ll just go get another one.”

I swear I see her shiver, but I can’t be sure if it’s from my words or the temperature.

I force myself to turn and go into the house, not stay and ask her. I need a minute to collect myself, anyway, before I do or say something I’ll regret. Something like Let’s make this real? Or Will you go out with me?

Chapter five

Hadley

I tear my gaze away from the disappearing back of my fake fiancé, taking a sip of beer. I fear I may be in trouble. When he called me his fiancée … ugh, that word coming out of his mouth, directed at me.

Why the hell was it so hot?

It shouldn’t be.

But it was.

I want to hear him say it again if I’m being honest.

I give myself a small shake. What am I thinking? No, I don’t want him to call me that. This is just for one day, an evening, and that’s it. I chew on the inside of my lip.

“What’s got you making that face?” Weston asks as he retakes his seat, another beer in his hand.

“Nothing. Just hoping no one else I know is at this party.”

“Are you ashamed to be seen with me, Hadley Jane? Afraid I’ll ruin your reputation?” He bounces his eyebrows at me, and it’s all I can do to hold in a laugh.

“Nope, Weston Raymond. Worried I might ruin your reputation.”

“Not my middle name, Hadley Jane, and I think my reputation is safe.”

I take a sip of my drink instead of answering him because I’d probably say something snarky, like ‘what reputation’? The last thing I want to do is be a jerk to the guy who is saving my ass.

“We need rules,” he says after a few minutes of silence.

I set my now-empty bottle down on the table. “We don’t need rules. It’s one evening. That’s it. I’ll introduce you as my fiancé to Henry and whoever else. We’ll eat. Make awkward small talk with people we don’t know and escape as soon as possible.”

He frowns. “You don’t want to go, do you?”

I shake my head.