Page 57 of The Game Plan

Great. Either I’m lying about work, or I lied about why I left him. Silently cursing, I grind my teeth and search for an answer.“It’s all settled. Not as big a deal as I’d thought.”

“Well,” he says. “That’s good.”

He doesn’t sound like he buys my story. God, I’m fucking up already, building this house-of-cards relationship on a shiftyset of lies. But I can’t tell him. I can’t. I’ll start crying here and now.

“I’m at the bar,” I tell him with false levity. “Call you later?”

“Always, Cherry,” he says softly. I hear him take a breath. “Fi?”

My heart pounds as I grip the phone like a lifeline. “Yeah?”

“Just know I’m with you. Even when I’m far away, I’m with you.”

It’s all I can do not to sob. I stand on the corner of Fifth and Twenty-fifth, the world flowing by me like rippling water,and feel such loneliness I hug myself around my middle. “Thank you, Ethan.”

I hang up then, because I can’t say anything more without breaking my heart wide-open.

Twenty

Fiona

Anna and I end up not drinking but buying sandwiches at Eataly and claiming a table in the Flatiron Plaza, the little pedestriantriangle of concrete between Broadway and Fifth. The weather is gorgeous in the way of New York in the fall—crisp breezescutting through sun-warmed air.

I don’t talk about my job issues. I’d rather enjoy the evening than ruin my appetite.

“So, Dex?” Anna grins before taking a sip of her latte.

I don’t know if she found out from Ivy, or if Gray blabbed to Drew—though my money is on Gray.

Regardless, I can’t help but grin back. “Yeah. Dex.”

I hold in a dreamy sigh, because that would be overkill. But Anna’s too quick; my satisfaction doesn’t escape her notice.

“That good, eh?” Her cheeks plump, and the breeze sends her red curls spiraling around her head.

“Let’s just say fauxgasms are unnecessary.”

“Fauxgasms?” Anna asks with a laugh.

“Fake orgasms.” I give her a look. “God, please don’t tell me you’ve never had to fake it. I think I’ll die of envy.”

My sex life hasn’t been horrible or anything, but college boys, by and large, are pretty much pump and dump, lather, rinse,repeat.

Dex had been a virgin, and yet he’d put his entire body and soul into the act. I’d felt cherished and my body worshipped.Never mind that Dex is so freaking sexy, all he has to do is look at me and I’m a hot mess.

Anna swallows a bite before shaking her head. “Of course I’ve faked it. Never with Drew, though.”

I roll my eyes at that, then laugh. “I hope not since you’re marrying the guy.”

“Oh, he leaves me quite satisfied. Quite.”

We give each other an immature fist bump and dissolve into laughter.

“I have to admit, I’m surprised,” Anna says.

“Why? Because of the athlete thing?”

“Well, partially that. I mean, you’ve shrugged off every friend of Drew’s who’s hit on you.”