Page 23 of Scarlett and the Fake Boyfriend (Scarlett #2)

“Yes you are. It’s the only way. You just need to get it over with. And then we’ll have unmasked your kiss thief by the end of homecoming.” Her phone buzzed. “Crap, I gotta go. Love you! Bye!” She went to the door.

“Are you okay to get home by yourself?”

“Yeah, RJ is driving me. I made him wait in the car while we talked.”

There was so much wrong with that sentence. But I definitely trusted RJ to get her home safe. I did not, however, believe that RJ had posed for this portrait.

I waited for Sophie to leave before pulling out my phone again. I had two new texts from my kiss thief.

“I know you have a boyfriend. I know I should stay away. All I want is for you to be happy. But I feel like you’ll be happier with me. And I won’t apologize for that. I won’t stop fighting for you, Scarlett. Not unless you ask me to.”

This was what I wanted. Someone to actually want me back.

But I hadn’t responded, so he’d written again .

“If you want what only I can give you, just tell me yes.”

I knew he was referring to homecoming. And third base. I slowly typed out “yes” on my phone and stared at it. I wasn’t even sure why I was hesitating. I knew what I wanted. I pressed send.

I looked once more at the portrait of RJ and laughed. Axel was ridiculous. I walked up the spiral staircase and lifted the trapdoor. I jumped when I saw Axel on my bed. Ah! I dropped the door a little loudly. Hopefully no one had heard that. I took a deep breath and pushed the trapdoor up again.

“It’s just me,” Axel said. “No zombies here.” He was on my bed, propped up against the headboard with his arms folded behind his head. He always looked so comfortable in my bed. The corner of his mouth ticked up. “Did you like the portrait?”

“You’re ridiculous.” I walked up into my room. “And how long have you been here? Sophie only just left the party.”

“It wasn’t fun without you there. Where were you, anyway? With the boyfriend?”

“You know that I was. You saw us drive off together.”

He lowered his arms from behind his head. “But you guys said you were coming.”

I shrugged. “Something popped up.” I tried to keep my face even. Where were all these puns coming from?

“Do anything fun?”

I wasn’t doing this with him. “Did you really go on that date with Gemma?”

“Did you not see the portrait I painted?”

I rolled my eyes. “I don’t believe you. But let’s say you did. Who are you kissing next? Georgia?” She was the last Triple G he needed to torture me with.

“Is that your pick?”

“No.”

“Okay. I won’t kiss Georgia next then.”

“Good,” I said.

“Good,” he agreed.

We both just stared at each other.

“I need to go change,” I said. I pulled off Jacob’s jacket and placed it on my desk chair. The chair that Axel’s jacket was still draped on.

“I won’t look,” Axel said.

“I’m not changing in front of you.”

“You had no problem flashing me the other day. Has the boyfriend seen your tits yet?”

I felt my cheeks flush. “No.”

“Huh. How ‘bout that.”

“Shut up.”

“Make me.”

Something about the way he said it made my heart race. I turned around and took a deep breath. And then I grabbed my silky pajamas.

“No, the other ones,” Axel said.

I turned around.

“I like those ones.” He pointed to the flannel set I’d left out.

“They’re ridiculous.”

“You look cute in them.”

Everyone stop calling me cute! “I’m not five, Axel.”

“I’m aware. Like I said. You flashed me the other day. ”

I ignored him and went into the bathroom that was attached to my room. I quickly got ready for bed and walked back out.

Axel had pushed the covers of my bed down. His eyes trailed down my legs.

Or maybe I imagined it. I knew he didn’t like me. But my heart still felt funny in my chest as I climbed into my bed next to him.

He pulled the covers over top of us.

“You really don’t need to stay,” I said.

“Aren’t you still scared?”

I wasn’t sure if I was still scared of the zombie movie or not.

Axel had chased away any bad dreams I might have had last night.

But I didn’t want to tell him I was okay.

Because honestly? I wasn’t sure if I was.

I think it had been a really long time since I’d felt okay.

Jacob was right. About everything. I’d lost my self-confidence somewhere. And I really wanted to find it again.

“I’m still scared,” I said.

“Then I’m not going anywhere.”

I slid down and rested my head against my pillow.

Axel stayed sitting up. “Are you excited about homecoming next weekend?” he asked.

I thought about my kiss thief. “Yes.”

“It’s your first one with a date, right?”

The fact that he didn’t know was what killed me. Because I remembered each of his dates freshman, sophomore, and junior year. I’d cut them out of pictures but they still haunted me. “Yes.”

“Are you two getting a hotel room after?”

“What? No.” Wait, I shouldn’t have said that. I think a lot of students did. Especially ones that were dating. “Are you and Soph?”

Axel laughed. “No. Soph and I are just friends.”

I looked up at him.

He reached down and brushed some hair off my forehead. “Get some sleep, Scarlett.”

I stared up at him. I really didn’t want to close my eyes. I was giving all my firsts to someone I didn’t even know. When I should have been giving them all to him. But Axel didn’t want them.

I rolled over and closed my eyes. And as soon as I did, the image of Jacob between my thighs popped into my head.

I opened my eyes and stared at the wall.

“Are you okay?” Axel asked.

“Yeah, fine.” I grabbed my red panda stuffed animal and pulled it to my chest. “Night, love you.” No.

What did I just say?! It was like I could feel Axel’s gaze piercing through the back of my head.

Why had I just said that? I was used to my mom and dad telling me goodnight when I was in bed. Not Axel. Screw me.

“I love you too, Scarlett.”

I swear I stopped breathing. I knew he didn’t mean he loved me loved me. He was just saying he loved me as a friend. Because of course he did. He was one of my best friends.

But this time when I closed my eyes, I pictured Axel’s face between my thighs.

I don’t think I’d ever been more confused in my life.