Page 101 of Faking It With My Pucking Protector

When she crosses to the bed, I slide in beside her without hesitation.

Lights off. The hush of the room folds in around us.

She shifts closer, her head finding my shoulder, her palm resting lightly over my chest.

After a beat, her voice is quiet. “You think Greg’s going to be okay with this? With us?”

Greg’s been in the back of my mind for a while now. I’ve been telling myself I’d bring it up when the timing was right—when it wouldn’t sound like I’m blindsiding him.

That window’s closing fast.

“I’ll talk to him,” I say, steady. “He’ll hear it from me.”

Her shoulders loosen just a little, like that’s all she needed to hear.

Telling him won’t be simple. But putting it off won’t make it any easier.

Even after she drifts off, I’m wide awake—already running through what I’ll say, and how to make him see what I do.

That she’s safe here.

Safe with me.

Chapter Twenty-Nine

AVA

The sun’s low when I finally close my laptop, the soft hush of late afternoon settling over the house. Somewhere in the background, the dishwasher hums, and I can hear the faint murmur of the TV in the living room. Miss Taylor and the boys are watching the pre-game broadcast.

I rub my temples and glance at the stack of notes beside me. In the past three days, everything around the gala has accelerated. The final sponsor packets still need tweaking. Evelyn’s scrambling to replace a silent auction item after a donor backed out. Kim flagged three options, but we needed one confirmed yesterday.

I reopen the sponsor spreadsheet, shoulders already curling forward with focus. I tell myself I’m not checking the score, not yet. But five minutes later, I swipe over to the app.

SteelClaws: 1

Outlaws: 0

My heart lifts.

Miss Taylor steps into the kitchen, drying her hands on a dish towel. “I’m taking the boys up. One period was enough excitement for a school night.”

Then she pauses, her gaze lingering on me for a beat longer. “Since I’ve been here, I’ve never seen Jackson this happy.”

My breath catches.

“You two…” Her voice is gentle. “You’re good for each other.”

Warmth spreads in my chest, and I manage a small smile. “Thank you.”

She nods, then heads down the hall, the boys chattering behind her. Noah’s saying something about dragons and hockey.

I turn back to the screen, Miss Taylor’s words still echoing in my mind.

Yeah, but not everyone might feel that way.

My thoughts drift to Greg before I can stop them.

Jackson said he’d talk to him soon, but this isn’t just anyone I’m dating — it’s his best friend. That’s a tricky line to cross, and I’m not sure how Greg’s going to take it. The worry lingers, steady and insistent, even as I try to focus on the auction slide.