Page 34 of The Omega's Fake Mate

But I was wrong.

“Why are you smiling?” Zander asked.

“I don't know,” I lied. In reality, I did know. I was excited to find out new things about my friend. I wanted to know what else there was. I wanted to know everything.

Was this what Zander felt like when he discovered a book he hadn't read yet?

It was a good feeling. I liked it.

Maybe a little too much?

I shoved the thought aside. “Put some music on,” I told Zander.

“No need, we're nearly there anyway.”

“Too bad, I wanted to know what kind of music you listen to.”

“Oh?” Zander glanced at me.

“Well, if I'm supposed to be your date, I should know that sort of thing, right? I mean, we got the kissing down, but what about everything else?”

Zander made a right turn onto a different road before responding. “I like movie scores. The soundtrack fromInterstellarwas fantastic.”

“So instrumental stuff, huh?” And now I knew what kind of movies he liked too! When I got back home, I had to see whether I could stream that movie on Netflix or something. And no, I was not getting obsessed or anything. I was only taking an interest in my friend's life. Reconnecting!

“What sort of music do you listen to?” Zander asked.

“Oh, you know... everything. If it's loud, if you can dance to it, I'm there.”

“Figures,” Zander said, a small smile playing on his lips. I'd just realized how much there was that I didn't know about Zander, but he still seemed to assume he knew everything about me, or that he could predict anything, at least. So, naturally, I decided to throw him for a loop.

“Did I ever tell you that I love propagating cacti?”

“You what?”

“Cacti. I think they're great. I have seven in my room in LA.” Pretty much because they were the only plants I could grow that didn't die, but whatever. Zander didn't have to knowthat.“It's fun, really. You break off a branch and stick it in the soil, and then occasionally water it. After some time, it grows roots and is its own functioning plant! I'm building my own plant army in my room. Moving toward world domination one pot at a time.”

Zander looked momentarily confused. I beamed.

“I started growing them during my vegan phase.”

“You had a vegan phase?”

“Oh, I washardcore.”

“Really?” The surprise was evident on Zander's face. I laughed.

You don't know everything about me.

But I wanted him to.

13

Zander

Iparkedthe car in front of my parents' house and slowly, we got out. In spite of the cold, neither of us was in a rush to get inside, it seemed.

Nick turned to me with a smile. “Think we can just tell your parents we ran away together? Send them a card from a tropical island?” His breath formed smoke in the air as he exhaled. A tropical island sure sounded nice right about now. “Man,” Nick continued. “I'd forgotten how cold Maine gets this time of year.”