Page 55 of Scarlett and the Fake Boyfriend (Scarlett #2)

Saturday

I made my way through the crowd. Ducking and weaving between people dancing to the fast paced song.

Jacob saw me coming toward him. He closed his water bottle and started walking toward me.

We met halfway and for a second we both just stared at each other.

“Hey,” he said.

“I thought you left.”

“What?” He lowered his eyebrows.

“I heard you left with Olivia.”

He laughed. “No. We talked for a few minutes outside. And then your dad recruited me to help find all the spiked soda cans.”

“Oh. What did you and Olivia talk about?”

He shrugged. “Not much of anything.” His eyes landed on the crown on my head. “Did you have a good conversation with Axel?”

I took a deep breath. This was my chance. To tell him everything. “Yes, actually. A really good conversation.”

Jacob smiled. “Good.”

Oh. No. He was taking this the wrong way. I was just about to tell him it was good because I was done with Axel, but someone tapped on the microphone .

My dad was standing on the stage. “It’s time for the homecoming king and queen to have their dance.” He looked very happy to be announcing Axel and Sophie’s dance.

I watched Sophie grab Axel’s arm and pull him into the middle of the dance floor. Everyone stopped dancing and stepped to the side as a slow song started.

Sophie and Axel both laughed about something.

“You okay?” Jacob asked.

Eventually this would stop hurting. I just hoped the process would speed up a bit. “I’m great,” I said. Because I knew I would be.

Jacob put his arm around my shoulders.

And I instantly felt a little better. I took a deep breath, and remembered what my dad had told me about my mom. That it was easier to breathe when you met the love of your life. I dropped my head onto Jacob’s shoulder. I really was going to be okay.

I stared at Axel and Sophie dancing. Sophie kept glancing over toward Mr. Halifax.

He was definitely watching her. And that put me at ease a bit.

I wanted Axel to be happy. I truly did. But he needed to be happy with someone other than Soph.

Because if the two of them got together I wasn’t sure I’d ever breathe again.

“And now all the couples join them on the dance floor,” my dad said into the mic.

I watched as my dad put his hand out for my mom.

She smiled as he pulled her to the stage to dance.

It was cute and super embarrassing all at once.

But this was my chance to tell Jacob how I really felt. I turned to look up at him just as Olivia walked up to us .

“Hey,” Olivia said. “You don’t mind if we dance, do you, Scarlett?” she asked. She stepped closer. “Jacob told me what was really going on.”

A shiver ran down my spine. “What?” I wasn’t even sure she had heard my question over the music, but then she smiled.

“That this isn’t real between the two of you.”

He told her?!

“That you’re just trying to get with the homecoming king. So you don’t mind, right? If I dance with Jacob?”

I felt completely frozen. No, it wasn’t fine! I loved him. The words running through my mind settled on that last thought. Screw me. I loved him. But I didn’t even get a chance to respond to Olivia.

Jacob dropped his arm from around my shoulders.

“Wait,” I said. “Jacob, I really need to talk to you.”

He nodded. “Okay. Save the next dance for me, Scarlett?”

I was used to him calling me love. Hearing my actual name fall from his lips felt like a slap in the face. But there was no reason for cute nicknames in front of someone in on the plan. Because this whole thing was freaking fake. And it always had been to him.

God I was such an idiot.

Jacob was everything that I wanted. And I was a few minutes too late in telling him the truth.

When Luis had asked me to dance while I was dancing with Axel, he’d basically told Luis to fuck off. I should have done that. Told Olivia to beat it. But Jacob could have said it too.

He didn’t want to dance with me.

He didn’t like me.

Not anymore.

And I’d already known that. He’d stopped liking me when I lost my confidence.

I watched as Jacob’s fingers intertwined with Olivia’s and he pulled her farther onto the dance floor.

I watched as my mom and dad danced.

I watched as Axel and Sophie both did some cute shimmy thing together.

And I watched as Jacob’s hands settled on Olivia’s hips.

I was used to feeling like shit at homecoming. But I’d really wanted this year to be different. I felt tears welling in the corners of my eyes.

I put my hand on the center of my chest. As if the warmth of my palm could somehow stop my heart from shattering.

I can’t be here. It was like witnessing the spin the bottle fiasco in slow motion all over again. I couldn’t watch this. I hurried off the dance floor. I walked over to the bar that my parents were no longer manning. But Mr. Halifax was standing behind the counter now.

Nope. I changed direction and headed out into the hall.

I took a deep breath but the air felt stale out here too. And a few students were out here making out. I hurried into the restroom to get away from all the happy couples.

I was relieved to see that every stall was empty. I closed the door of one and leaned against it. And I let myself cry.

I pulled a long sheet of toilet paper off and held it under my eyes.

This had to be some kind of cruel joke.

I’d fallen in love twice in my life .

And twice I’d waited too long to tell either of the guys the truth. What was that old saying? Fool me once, shame on you? Fool me twice, shame on me? Yeah, this was definitely on me.

I took a big shaky breath and exhaled slowly. I just wanted to go home. But I couldn’t steal the limo. And my parents were chaperoning. My dad wouldn’t just let me leave early without him anyway.

I pulled my phone out and my glasses. My kiss thief had responded to my question about what he was wearing: “A tux. What else would I be wearing? By the way, you look gorgeous in that color, baby.”

I looked down at my dress. I’d felt like a million bucks at the beginning of the night.

I didn’t feel that way anymore though. My dress was blurry from my view behind my glasses and contacts.

And the diamonds all over the top didn’t shine in the bathroom’s lighting. The dress looked dull and lifeless.

I pulled off my glasses and texted the kiss thief back. “Thanks. But I’m heading out early.” I’d get an Uber and try to slip out. My mom and dad were busy being in love anyway. It seemed like everyone was but me.

My phone buzzed with his response: “Or you could dance with me.”

I pushed myself off the door as I stared down at his words. “Are you saying I haven’t danced with you yet?”

“I didn’t say that,” he texted. “Maybe I want a second dance.”

No. He wasn’t getting off that easy. “Tell me. Have I danced with you yet?”

“What do you think?”

I walked out of the stall. “Meet me in the middle of the dance floor right now.” I walked toward the door.

“I have a better idea,” he texted.

And then the lights in the bathroom turned off.

I didn’t even get a chance to scream. Not that I needed to. I knew it was the kiss thief’s hands on my waist, pulling me close.

His lips slammed against mine.

I kissed him back. Like he could take away all the pain I was feeling.

Axel didn’t like me.

Jacob didn’t like me.

But my kiss thief did. I had no idea who he was. But I just wanted to feel better.

The kiss felt different than usual. More frantic somehow. Like he was worried we’d be caught any second.

And...wouldn’t we?

Had he locked the door?

My thoughts stopped when he bit my lower lip as his fingers tangled in my hair. It was so easy to get lost in his kisses.

Wait.

I was not getting lost tonight. I put my hands on his shoulders. Whose height was like this? I went to take a deep breath, but all I caught was his minty breath before the kiss thief pulled back.

No. He wasn’t getting away this time. I took a step forward and tripped in the darkness. I caught myself against one of the sinks. A stream of light lit up the bathroom as the kiss thief left. But I was looking down and all I saw were his black tuxedo pants and dress shoes .

He didn’t steal a first like he’d promised. And the whole thing had felt...rushed somehow. But maybe he was scared of being caught?

I ran out into the hallway. But it was just a bunch of students making out. Completely oblivious. And the door to the ballroom was now propped open.

“Did anyone see who just left the bathroom?” I asked.

None of them even acknowledged me.

“Who just went into the ballroom?” I asked.

The couples still didn’t acknowledge me.

I ran toward the ballroom.

But someone grabbed me from behind and pulled me backward.

I turned to see who it was, but he’d pulled me into a dark room. It smelled of cleaning supplies and hot oil. Were we in the kitchen?

And I realized before he even kissed me that whoever had just kissed me wasn’t my kiss thief. Because this was.

Who the hell had I just kissed in the bathroom?

My thoughts disappeared as my kiss thief slammed his lips against mine.

Or...was this the same person? And he just hadn’t had enough? He could have easily slipped into this room after the bathroom. We were much less likely to get interrupted in here.

My head was scrambled. But his kiss made all my thoughts disappear.

This had to be the same person. It didn’t make sense otherwise. And he tasted minty just like the bathroom kiss. But all I could smell was the smells of the kitchen.

And God, I didn’t even care who was kissing me. I just wanted more. My kiss thief made me feel like I was the only one he cared about.

I wasn’t just his friend.

Or some fake girlfriend.

He was real.

“Did I already dance with you?” I said against his lips.

He grabbed me around the waist and lifted me onto a cold metal counter.

“Tell me,” I said.

Instead of responding, he kissed me again as he stepped between my thighs. His hand landed on the slit in my dress. He pushed it even higher.

I knew he wouldn’t respond to me. And I knew why. Because if he did...I’d recognize his voice.

I’d danced with him already then...right? I must have.

I tried to picture kissing Jacob.

Did it feel anything like this?

The kiss thief’s hand slid even higher.

Yes. It did. When Jacob kissed me I felt alive.

Was it possible? Could it really be? I wasn’t sure. My head was completely scrambled as the kiss thief’s hand slid higher.

Every time I’d practiced third base with Jacob, all I’d wanted was for him to want to touch me. And the kiss thief wanted to. He’d been dreaming of it. He’d said as much.

And I’d be lying if I said I hadn’t been dreaming of it too.

I’d pictured Jacob’s face between my thighs.

Hell, I’d pictured Axel’s face between my thighs too .

But the only person who really wanted to do this with me was my kiss thief. And that’s what I wanted too. I wouldn’t have told him yes if I didn’t mean it. And when the kiss thief’s fingers slid up my thigh, all I was thinking about how desperate I was for him.

He pushed my thong to the side and lightly brushed his thumb against me.

Oh my God. It was the most amazing thing I’d ever felt.

He groaned into my mouth as he traced slow circles around me. And then I felt the tip of his index finger slide inside of me.

“More,” I whispered.

He kissed me harder as he slid his finger the rest of the way in.

God. I grabbed the lapels of his tuxedo jacket and pulled him closer.

I’d been dreaming of first kisses my whole life.

When I should have been dreaming about this .

Because this felt a million times better than just a kiss.

He moved his finger slowly in and out of me.

And I was pretty sure I made some kind of whimpering noise. I would have been embarrassed, but he didn’t laugh. He just moved his finger faster.

He bunched my skirt up around my waist. And then he somehow managed to move my hands behind my back. He held them there as his lips fell from mine.

“What are you doing...” my voice trailed off when he placed a soft kiss against the inside of my thigh.

Jesus.

He left a trail of kisses up the inside of my thigh.

My whole body was trembling when his lips pressed against my wetness. And then his tongue swirled around me.

My head tilted back as I moaned.

His fingers had felt amazing. But his tongue? I tried to move my hands to bury them in his hair, but he held my wrists tighter in his hand.

And a guttural noise escaped his throat. Like I was the most delicious thing he’d ever tasted.

His fingers tightened around my wrists. And he pushed my thigh farther to the side as his tongue went deeper.

Oh God. Oh God. Fuck. It was like my body broke. I gasped. And then I started shuddering as my thighs clamped his head in place.

And he just kept going. Devouring me. He hooked his hand beneath my thigh and lifted it up to get a better angle.

“Yes,” I moaned as he buried his face between my thighs.

My legs finally untensed and he placed a slow kiss against me, before standing back up.

I was exhausted. But I somehow wanted it again immediately.

He kissed the side of my neck before releasing my hands from behind my back.

And then he was stepping away from me.

“Wait!” I said. I pushed myself off the counter and tried to reach out for him.

But he was already gone.

And for some reason, I didn’t chase him.

Because I felt paralyzed. I’d given him a first. A big first. And I felt...guilty. Not because I didn’t like it. But because I’d been picturing a very certain person when his mouth was on mine.

Jacob.

I’d wanted it to be him.

And I had no idea if I’d just given that first to him or a complete stranger. But I needed him to know how I felt.

Screw Olivia.

And screw him thinking I didn’t have any confidence. Because I did. And I was about to show him.