Page 101 of That Fake Feeling

Myheart beats even faster with relief and my stomach somersaults with joy.

“Oh, myGod.Oh, myGod.Oh, myGod.”Myhands fly to my cheeks asIjump up and down, splashing water everywhere, and causing the flip-flops to fall from under my arm and bobble in the water at my ankles.

“Oh,Jesus,Connor,Ican’t believe you got it.Ican’t believe it.Ithought it was gone forever.”Thepanic drains from me in the form of tears cascading down my cheeks.

Atthe same time, the delight falls fromConnor’sface as if a switch has been flicked.

“Oh, fuck.”Hiseyebrows climb as close to his hairline as they can possibly get. “Fuck.”

Shit.Isit notMom’sring?Ilean in closer to examine what he’s holding.It’sdefinitelyMom’sring. “What’swrong?”

Heleans around and looks behind me.

Iturn to see a photographer walking toward us, snapping away.Thismorning has all felt so real it had completely slipped my mind that we were still supposed to be putting on a show for paparazzi.

Ilook back atConnor—who’s on his knees, offering me a ring.

26

CONNOR

“Stillnothing?”IaskRose.

Shedrops her phone into her lap as we enterQueens-MidtownTunneland lose the signal.

“Nope.I’vechecked all the usual sites and plenty more.Andthen checked again.”

Sincebreakfast, we’ve been obsessively searching online to see if a photo of me seemingly proposing toRoseon the beach has appeared anywhere.It’scompletely dominated the day.

I’dhoped for a relaxing walk along the sand to the waterfront restaurant, where we could talk about where we go from here, if she’d like to carry on living at my house, and how we figure out continuing to see each other.Buteven if she’d wanted to before,I’mnot convinced she does any more.

Sheleans back against the headrest and closes her eyes. “I’mjust going to hopeIwas blocking his view, so he didn’t get a clear enough shot to use and we’re all good.”

Notsure there’s much chance of that, butIdon’t want to distress her any more than she already is.

“Ilike that theory,”Isay in my best effort at a reassuring tone. “Let’skeep this whole thing to ourselves.Aslong as no one else mentions it, we’re good.”

Rosesighs. “That’swhatI’dhoped withAuntJenand the magazine article.Lookwhat good that did me.”

Thetunnel lights flash across her face like a strobe in a club.

“Oneperk of heading back later than we intended is at least we’re not stuck in traffic,”Isay, desperate to find something positive in the situation.

“Yeah, can’t wait to get an early night.Allthis worry is exhausting,” she says, her eyes still shut. “Ihad no idea being in a pretend relationship could be as tiring as being in a real one.”

Myhands tense on the steering wheel. “Youstill think what we’re doing isn’t real?Itfeels pretty damn real to me.”

Sheopens her eyes and rolls her head to look at me.

“Oh,Ididn’t mean it like that.”Shemanages an apologetic smile and rests her fingers on my thigh.

Thefact she still wants to touch me is a huge relief.

“Ijust meant the stress of having to put on a show for the photographers.”Sheturns her eyes back to the road ahead and withdraws her hand.Damn.

“Ishould never have let myself get so caught up in things thatItotally forgot they were there,” she adds.

Aswe leave the tunnel and re-emerge into the world, my phone pings.