Page 16 of Scarlett and the Fake Boyfriend (Scarlett #2)

I pretended to throw up and ran out of the kitchen. I made my way through the living room, but paused. I’d left my red panda stuffed animal upstairs. And I needed him if I was going to survive the night and not get eaten by terrifying zombies. I really hated scary movies.

I hurried upstairs and into my old room.

I grabbed my stuffed animal, but instead of heading back downstairs, I sat on my bed.

Being downstairs alone felt scarier than being up here with my family.

If a zombie came in through the front door he’d probably sniff me out first, down there all alone. I shivered.

I just needed to stop thinking about the movie. I pulled out my phone and stared at my kiss thief’s last text. I responded: “No sleepovers, no matter how much I need one tonight. My dad has very strict rules about no boys in my room.”

He responded right away. “If I was your boyfriend I’d break the rules for you.”

I smiled and stared at his words. I tried to think of something flirty to say back. “But you’re not my boyfriend. You’re a dirty kiss thief.”

“Dirty? Hardly.”

I laughed.

And he texted again before I could respond: “And I know I’m not your boyfriend. Because if I was, you would have sent me pictures of whatever you got at Odegaard last night. Still want a second opinion?”

My heart started racing. He was asking for more sexy photos. All I’d gotten last night was my homecoming dress. But my mom had just given me something from Odegaard that fit the bill a lot better.

I hugged my red panda against my chest and headed back downstairs to my room. But when I reached the door, I realized that if Sophie was here, she’d instruct me to be a little more creative than that. I kept walking down the hall and opened the door to the billiards room.

This was going to be a much better picture. I locked the door behind me and changed into the silky pajamas. The hem of the shorts was definitely a little above the bottom of my butt. And the top cut very low and clung to everything.

I grabbed a pool stick and set my camera up on the bar. I hit the timer and then ran over to the pool table. I leaned over and arched my back. The camera flashed as I pretended to shoot the cue ball.

I ran over and looked at the picture. The view of my ass was good, but it didn’t show off the low cut of the top.

I hit the timer again and ran back over to the pool table.

I hoisted myself up on the side of it and leaned forward a bit.

I spread my legs and held the pool stick between them. The camera flashed.

That one felt like a winner. I slid off the pool table and grabbed my phone. Sophie definitely would have approved. I looked so saucy in this one. But I liked the other one too. Before I could chicken out, I sent him both.

I leaned against the edge of the pool table and waited for his response. And waited. And waited.

God, what had I been thinking sending those?

Everyone but Sophie kept warning me not to send my kiss thief sexy photos.

What if the kiss thief decided to print them out and put up fliers of them all over the school or something?

I wouldn’t just be expelled. My dad would probably lock me in a tower for ten years or something.

“You better not send these to anyone else,” I texted. “Or share them in any way. Or I’ll kill you.”

I stared in horror at what I’d just typed. Had I just threatened to murder him? I groaned again.

But then he responded. “You have nothing to worry about. If anyone else ever saw these pictures, I’d kill them. Your body belongs to me. Every inch of it.”

I swallowed hard and my throat made a weird squeaking noise.

“I don’t like sharing, baby. Ditch the boyfriend.”

Every inch of my skin suddenly felt hot. And at the same time...I kind of wanted to throw up. I just needed to get one suspect off my list. “Are you Mr. Halifax?”

“Lol. Do you have a teacher kink? Because you can call me whatever you want as long as no one else touches you.”

That was not an answer! “No. I don’t have any kinks.”

“No, you just don’t know them yet. I’ll teach you. Your first lesson will be when I steal third base.”

Teach me?! First lesson?! Oh my God, no!

It’s Mr. Halifax. It’s Mr. Halifax. Ah! I was definitely going to be sick.

But for some reason my heart was still racing.

I fanned my face. I needed a shower or something to cool off.

Yeah, that would make me feel better. I grabbed my bag and stuffed animal, unlocked the door, and looked both ways.

The coast was clear. I hurried to my bedroom to change out of my “first time” pajamas my mom bought.

Gross . Everything about tonight was so weird.

But “I’ll teach you” kept running around in my head. And the fact that he was going to steal third base. I didn’t know anything about third base!

I was definitely panicking. I needed to call Sophie. She’d also calm me down about the zombie apocalypse.

I closed the door behind me and dropped my bag. I pulled off the satin top and threw it on the ground.

“And here I thought we’d be working on our assignment,” said a deep voice.

I screamed at the top of my lungs as I spun around and chucked my red panda stuffed animal at the intruder.

Axel was sitting on my bed staring at me. His hands were behind his head as he leaned against the headboard. It looked like he’d been sitting there for a while. But he was alert enough to reach out and catch my stuffed animal in one hand. “Shh,” he said. “Are you trying to get caught?”

I threw my arm over my bare chest. “What are you doing here? You scared me half to death! I thought you were a zombie!”

“A zombie?” He laughed. “And you thought a stuffed animal would kill me?”

I ignored him as I turned around and pulled my top back on. My mind was going a million miles a second. “Seriously, what are you doing here?”

“We’re supposed to work on our project.”

I spun around. “You said that you couldn’t because you had a date.”

“Yeah, but that painting class you sent us to only took like an hour.” He shrugged. “I’ve been hanging out here ever since.”

Wait. He’d actually gone to that painting place? I’d taken like a minute to find a place that did portraits and sent him the link hoping he’d just been messing with me. I didn’t even know if the place I’d found in Soho did nudes. “You went? To the painting place?”

“Yup. I painted something pretty good too. It’s in your secret lair if you want to look.”

“ Our secret lair.”

He smiled.

Why was he smiling?! “Axel, you can’t be in here. If my dad sees you...”

There was a knock on the door.

“Pumpkin?” my dad said. “Is everything alright?”

“Axel,” I hissed.

He just stayed on my bed looking all relaxed.

What was he doing?

“Pumpkin?” my dad said.

“One second, Dad!” I reached into my bag and quickly pulled my flannel pajamas over top of the sexy ones. I turned back to Axel and he was still just sitting on my bed like a total idiot. I leaned over my bed and pushed him.

He didn’t expect it and toppled off the side of my bed with a loud thud.

“Pumpkin?!” The door knob jiggled and the door started to open.

“Stay down!” I hissed and ran to the door just as my dad appeared in my doorway. “Hey, Dad. Do you like my new pajamas?”

“I thought I heard you scream? And a thud?”

“Soph called me and I’m a little jumpy from the movie tonight.” I laughed. “Sorry, I didn’t even realize that I screamed.”

“And the thud?” My dad looked over my shoulder.

“I tripped trying on my new favorite pajamas.” I gestured down to the new pjs that I was swimming in.

He slowly nodded. “They look very nice on you.”

“Thanks,” I said. My dad was a total liar. My mom was always wearing tight clothing. I knew he thought I looked like a flannel blimp. This game we played was ridiculous. “I’m obsessed,” I lied.

He smiled. “Fantastic. Well, I’ll let you get back to studying.” He looked over my shoulder at my desk. Where I knew I hadn’t pulled out my calc book.

“I was just about to start,” I said.

My dad nodded. “Well, let me know if you need those snuggies. I know how much those scary movies spook you. ”

“Mhm.”

“Goodnight, pumpkin.”

“Night, Dad.” As soon as he walked away I locked the door.

“Snuggies?” Axel asked as he sat back down on my bed.

“Seriously, you have to leave,” I said.

He laughed. “I don’t think so.” He leaned back against the headboard again.

“The last time my dad caught you in here he totally freaked. If he catches you in my room again I’ll be grounded for eternity.”

“I don’t think so,” he said again.

“Of course I will!”

Axel shook his head. “You have a boyfriend now. A boyfriend that isn’t me. I hardly think your dad can be upset if we hang out in your room now. It’s not like you’re a cheater.”

“Right,” I said. Probably way too quickly.

I thought about the pictures I’d just sent my kiss thief.

And the fact that I was only dating Jacob to make Axel jealous.

I stared at him. But he did make a really good point.

It was basically like hanging out with Sophie now. According to Axel and my dad anyway.

“So I don’t see the problem,” Axel said.

“It’s still a rule though.”

“Well, next time don’t shove me off your bed and I’ll go through the trapdoor. Deal?”

Now this was a deal I actually wanted. Partially because he said next time . Like he planned on sneaking in here a lot. “Deal.”

“Nice pajamas by the way,” he said.

“Shut up.” I pulled off the frumpy mess.

“I meant it. You look cute in them.” He tossed my stuffed animal at me.

I shook my head and set my red panda back on the bed. That was the whole problem. Axel just saw me as a cute little sister or something.

“So a zombie movie, huh? Doesn’t Jacob know you hate scary movies?”

“Of course he knows. He just thought it would be fun.”

“And you still snuggle with your dad when you see a scary movie?”

“No.”

“He thinks you do.”

“I haven’t in years,” I said. Okay fine...maybe last Halloween. But Soph had made me watch a really scary movie. And I thought I was going to die in a house fire after my arms had been cut off with a chainsaw. Anyone would have wanted snuggles with their dad.

I cleared my throat. “So...our project. Should we get started?”

“I already submitted our more detailed idea through the portal.”

I stared at him. “You already submitted it? But you didn’t even ask me.”

“I’ve been hanging out here for a while on my own. What was I supposed to do with my time?”

“You were supposed to be on a date. Which you clearly weren’t.”

“My painting is downstairs. Like I said.”

“I don’t believe you.”

He smiled. “You’re going to love it when you see it. ”

I rolled my eyes. “So did you have fun making out with Gemma?”

“If I did, would I be here?”

I stared at him. Did that mean he didn’t make out with her? Or he just didn’t like it? Maybe she was a bad kisser. Like me. “It’s late. I should probably get some sleep.”

“Okay,” he said. But he didn’t get up to leave.

“Axel.”

“What? Come on, put that flannel number back on and let’s get some rest.”

“You’re staying?”

“I know how much you hate scary movies. I’ll just stay until you fall asleep.” He patted the bed beside him. “I won’t let any zombies get you.”

I couldn’t refuse that. It definitely beat snuggies with my dad. I sat down next to him.

“You forgot your new pajamas,” he said.

“These are new.” I pushed my comforter down and slid under it.

“I like the other ones better,” he said and lifted his side of the comforter. He slid under the covers with me. But he stayed sitting up.

“I figured. Just like you like my glasses.”

He looked down at me. “I do like your glasses.”

Yeah, he liked the old me. Just like Jacob liked the old me before that. “Well, now I wear silky pajamas and contacts.”

“I’ve noticed. Get some sleep, Scarlett.” He reached over and turned off the lamp on my nightstand.

My eyes hadn’t adjusted to the dark, but Axel’s cologne was all around me. It made my heart race even more than the zombie movie had.

“Where did you get that?” Axel asked.

“Where did I get what?”

“The star.”

I looked up at the star on the ceiling that was glowing bright. “Jacob gave it to me.”

“He did?”

“Yeah.”

We were both quiet. And I wondered if maybe Axel knew the story behind the stars. He was Jacob’s best friend. He probably did know.

My eyelids started to grow heavy.

As Axel sat there protecting me like an older brother.

I was pretty sure he’d seen me top nude, as Aunt Ash would say.

Yeah, I’d definitely accidentally flashed him when I’d started to change.

I’d had no idea he was sitting there. And he hadn’t said a thing about it.

He didn’t like me. No matter what anyone else said, I could tell.

If he did...wouldn’t he take advantage of the fact that we were alone right now? In the dark?

I knew who would... My kiss thief.