Page 31 of Love is Fake (Love is Everything #1)

Chapter

Sixteen

“No-one would ever believe this if I told them.” My chin rests in my palms, elbows on the breakfast bar as I watch Lennox.

“Believe what? That I’m a damn magician in the kitchen?” He throws me a suggestive look. “And in other rooms in the house - if you’re screaming this morning is anything to go by.”

I manage to control my blush, but only just and only because he looks so incongruous in his ‘kiss the cook’ apron. Incongruous and gorgeous as all get out.

“Who gave you that thing anyway?” I ask, watching as he flips a pancake with an expert flick of his wrist. Breakfast for dinner is the absolute best and it’s a sign of Lennox’s good taste that he shares that opinion.

“I’ll give you three guesses,” he gives me a pointed look.

I only need one. “Does his name begin with K and end in -ai?”

“Ding, ding, ding, got it in one!” Lennox points to me with his spatula. “And the crowd goes wild!” A few seconds later, he’s sidling up next to me, holding the spatula like a microphone and using his best ‘sport’s commentator’ voice. “Tell me, Isabella, how does it feel to be a winner?”

I laugh, loving this relaxed side of Lennox.

It feels like we’ve been floating in our little bubble, being able to hide from the outside world.

The last few weeks have been a dream and the truth is, I don’t want them to end.

But reality is starting to muscle its way back and with Lennox almost back to full strength, it won’t be long now.

I try to ignore the twinge I feel in my chest at the knowledge we haven’t got much longer together before my contract’s up and life goes back to normal.

I’ll go back to my work in the city, back to my apartment.

Lennox will start training with the Pelicans again and he’ll no doubt be wall-to-wall with interviews and photo-shoots on his return to the sport.

I just don’t see how there’ll be a chance for us, for me, in his life.

As far as my experience has taught me, you can’t depend on anyone else to make you happy.

I saw what it did to my dad for so long after my mother walked out on us.

I won’t fall into that same trap, I can’t.

So, I ignore the whisper in the back of my head telling me I’ve already fallen hook, line and sinker.

The smile on Lennox’s face drops as he frowns at me. “What’s up?”

“Nothing.” I wave away his concern. “I was just thinking about my dad,” I lie and hate myself a little for it.

Lennox looks at me sympathetically which only makes me feel worse for lying.

“Ya’ll talked yesterday, right?” He kneads the knots out of my shoulders which are suddenly tense.

“Mmmhmmmh,” I reply noncommittally because I’m pretty sure I know what’s coming next.

“I’m looking forward to meeting him. What did he say about coming up for the first pre-season game? You said he’s a fan, right?” Lennox goes back to flipping pancakes and sliding them onto two plates for us, only looking up at me when I don’t reply.

“It didn’t come up,” I evade, biting my lip at the lie of omission.

Lennox’s eyes narrow on my mouth, reading my tell as easily as if I’d blurted out my truth. “It didn’t come up?” he repeats, giving me his no-bullshit look.

I shrug, still avoiding his gaze. “You know, I’m not all that hungry.” I slide off the stool and I’m half-way out of the kitchen before Lennox blocks the exit.

This time, his comedy apron doesn’t take away any of the seriousness in his expression.

“Izzy, what’s going on? Is your dad pissed about us dating or something? Does he not approve? I know how close you guys are and I don’t want y’all to fall out over this.” Lennox looks so genuinely distressed at the thought of coming between my father and I that I have to tell him.

“It’s not that he doesn’t approve, Nox.” Big breath in. “I just haven’t exactly told him about you, yet.”

I wince inwardly at the range of emotions which play out over Lennox’s face; from confusion to anger to disappointment to hurt. It’s the last one that gets me, because the last thing I’ve ever wanted to do is hurt him.

“You haven’t told your dad about me, about us?” he asks slowly, watching me with that hawk-like focus of his as I nod. “Are you afraid of what he’ll say?” I know I’m not imagining the pain in his voice – I can feel it as if it were my own.

“No, of course not, it’s not that,” I assure him, although that’s part of it.

My dad’s a realist and there’s no way I could spin our story to him that would make him think it makes any sense.

Me being with someone as famous and celebrated as Lennox is hard enough for me to square at times, let alone for anyone else to get their head around.

“It’s just all so new,” I flounder, reaching for his hand, but he doesn’t respond.

“It’s not that fucking new, Izzy. We’ve been together for over a month,” he growls, the anger in his voice starting to break through the hurt.

“So why wouldn’t you tell him? I thought you guys talked about everything.

And don’t say it’s fucking nothing, because when I fed you that line, you said I should respect you enough to tell you the truth.

” He throws my words back at me, knowing I can’t argue with them.

“I’m just asking you to do the same.” He folds his arms over his chest, forcing me to drop my hand and I feel his rejection of my touch as if it were a living thing.

“Because…because I don’t want to tell him about this, about us, only to have to tell him in a month that it’s over,” I burst out before snapping my mouth shut, too late.

There, I’ve said it, and it turns out honesty isn’t always the best policy because I don’t feel better, not even a little bit.

“Is that how long you’re giving this?” Lennox asks, gesturing between the two of us.

“One more month? I’m just asking so I know we’re both on the same damn page here, Isabella.

” I ignore the formality he injects my name with.

It’s a world apart from the seductive way he whispers it to me in the dark while he rocks me to my core.

“How long do you really think this can last, Nox? I know you’re not na?ve enough to think this can work out in the long run!

” Us being together is such an impossibility.

Our lives are way too different. It’s only a matter of time before we’re pulled so far in different directions there’s no chance of ever finding our way back to each other.

Lennox runs his fingers through his thick hair, frustration projected all over his face.

“Who the fuck knows how long anything’ll last for?

I don’t have a crystal ball, Isabella. I can’t see into the future, but I know how I feel about you.

” His eyes meet mine and I will him to say more, to say the words that feel as if they’re on the tip of his tongue.

But he doesn’t and I’m left feeling more than a little disappointed.

If you know, then say it, I ask him silently.

“What about you? Have you told your sister about me, your friends?” I ask and, sure I’m deflecting, but it’s all part of the same argument.

Lennox’s eyes flash in warning at the mention of his family, even though I haven’t mentioned his parents, it’s a fine line I’m in danger of crossing. But I’m not backing down, he’s the one who started this damn argument in the first place.

“You know I don’t talk about shit like this with my sister,” he grinds out between gritted teeth.

“Sure, that might be part of it,” I concede, “but what about your friends? Tell me that you’re not worried about what they’re going to think about you hanging out with white trash?”

“The fuck, Iz?” Lennox blinks at me in shock. “Why the fuck would you ever talk about yourself like that or think I would? Besides, you’re the one who wanted to keep us a secret from everyone, hell the only reason Dec knows is because apparently Kai can’t keep his damn mouth shut!”

And Kai has been left in no uncertainty over how I feel about his slip-up. It wasn’t intentional, but the damage has been done. And I was right to think Declan wouldn’t approve. It was clear that he didn’t. Lennox pretends not to notice. I pretend not to care.

“I’m just calling a spade a spade, Nox,” I tell him. “You know that’s what your big-league friends’ll think. Daughter of a mechanic, dirt freakin’ poor, mother’s whereabouts unknown.” I could go on, but my throat has started to close up with tears I didn’t even realize were creeping in.

We agreed to just see where things would go between us, to not put a label on whatever we were, but somewhere along the line, it has become so much more than a ‘wait and see’ casual thing – to me at least.

We said no strings, but if I’m being honest to myself all I want to do is tie us together.

Lennox tilts his head, looking at me as if he’s seeing all the way down into my soul. “No-one would ever think that shit about you, and even if they did, they wouldn’t be anyone whose opinion I give a shit about.”

“You don’t know that, Nox,” I shake my head, pushing down the tears trying to make an appearance.

“I know there’s no way anyone would ever think you’re not good enough for me, because none of that crap is true. I’m the one who’s won the fucking lottery with you!” He says it as if it were an undeniable fact and I feel myself glow on the inside.

“I don’t know how long you’re gonna think that for, Nox.” I smile up at him through the feeling of inevitability that I can’t shake. “But I’ll take it for as long as it lasts.”

I expect Lennox to return my smile, but he doesn’t. Instead his expression remains pensive.

“I’m not going anywhere, Izzy,” he vows quietly, lifting my chin for our eyes to connect. “Why are you trying so hard to push me out the door?”

I blink up at him, his words hitting home. Is that what I’ve been doing; trying to push him away, keep him at arm’s length emotionally, so I’m not caught unaware when he eventually – inevitably – decides to call it quits?