For Real (Rules of Love, Book One) (14 page)

“This is an interesting turn of events,” he says.

“Uh huh.”

Please don’t let my breath stink. Please don’t let my breath stink.

I want to cover my mouth so he can’t smell my funk, but there isn’t really a way to do that, so I just turn my head so I’m looking up at the ceiling. I also close my mouth. Jett props his head on his hand and I can feel him looking at me.

“Stop it,” I say, grabbing the covers and trying to pull them over my head.

He won’t let me.

“Why?”

Do I really have to explain?

“Because.”

“Because why?” Oh, we’re doing that routine? I feel like I’m three again.

“Because it’s weird and creepy and it makes me uncomfortable.” It also makes me very aware of my flaws and how much I wish I was someone else at the moment.

“Silly girl,” Jett says, stretching his arms above his head, his shoulders popping. “We should probably get up. How about we go out for breakfast? I really don’t have much here.”

“Sounds good,” I say. Ugh, I have to get up first and I don’t want to, but I roll sideways and get my feet under me. Jett is right behind me, with his hands on my shoulders. He leaves them there for a second and then lets go and I dash to the bathroom to make myself somewhat presentable.

Integrating Jett into my life has been almost seamless. I thought I would have to move things around and take things out, and compromise, but it’s like my life changed to fit him in it. Like he needed to be a part of my life, so he is. That sounds strange, after knowing him for such a short time, but it’s like he’s always been there. I’ve also saved all of the cranes he’s made me, which are all living in my sock drawer. At least I’ll have them when this is over.

Not to say that everything is smooth and bump-free. Oh, there are plenty of bumps. He almost walks in on me changing once, and I’m terrified to fart or burp or anything else like that in front of him. We’re just not ready for that stage yet. I think it takes a while to get there, even with friends. Jett has also had some mornings when he’s woken up, um, with a little issue in his pants, but he turns over and I pretend not to notice. I just can’t deal with that. I just can’t.

Our Fake Dating charade seems to be working, and everyone appears to be buying it, at least so far. Jett and I hold hands and give each other adoring looks and use stupid nicknames and part of it makes me want to hurl and the other part of me adores it and wishes it were real. I keep the wishing on the down-low, though. I don’t let myself do too much of it, because this isn’t real. I’m playing a part and he’s playing a part and that’s it. One month. We’re a week down and everything is going good. I can’t ruin it by wanting something that I can’t have.

“You’re going to be fine. I think you over study and psych yourself out. Have you ever gotten less than an A on anything?” he says when we’re in the library and I’m stressing out about my next test.

I stick my tongue out at him. “
Yes
, I have.” Twice. Once in high school and once in college. It will never happen again. I won’t let it. Even if I get a 90.01, it’s better than an 89. Always.

Jett should be one to talk. I happen to know that his grades are impeccable. He’s one of those assholes that learning comes naturally to. People think my good grades come easy, but they don’t. It’s a lot of blood and sweat and tears and massive amounts of caffeine and lost sleep to get where I am. I simply want this more than I want anything else. More than drinking, or having sex, or watching another episode of
The Real Housewives of Bitchtown
.

“Don’t diss my study methods. Not all of us can be as academically gifted as you are, babe.” I’m trying out nicknames for Jett. I’m not sure if I like this one.

“Whatever, princess,” he says, flicking one of the cranes so it lands in the middle of my open textbook.

“I’m starving. Wanna get something to eat?” I move the crane and then close my book. I’ve still got some more to do, but it can wait. I want to stare at Jett’s eyes for a little while. I deserve a reward for a job well done.

“Brilliant plan from a brilliant girl.” The butterflies start rocking out in my stomach again. They do it whenever he says something like that. I thought it would get old, but it hasn’t yet. I kind of want to get used to it, because it’s hard to deal with the ups and downs of this Fake Relationship. Almost as if it was a real one.

Jett blows his straw wrapper at me, and it hits me before I can duck and gets stuck in my hair.

“Jerk,” I say, and then I do the same to him. Of course I miss. He sticks his tongue out at me and I want to kick him under the table.

“Well, if isn’t the happy couple,” Javier says behind me. Oh, Javier. I really can’t get a read on him. I’m still trying to figure out if he’s serious most of the time, or if he’s putting on a show for my benefit. From what Jett has told me, he’s like that all the time.

“Hello, Javier,” I say, turning and meeting his grinning face atop his jacked up shoulders. I’ve been dying to ask Jett if he’s on steroids, or if he just works out a lot. He must also be naturally gifted.

“What are you nerds up to?”

“Just because we study, doesn’t mean that we’re nerds. Besides, nerds are the ones who run this country. Who could bring the world to its knees? Computer hackers,” Jett says. He does have a point.

Javier just shakes his head.

“Believe what you want.” He’s wearing a t-shirt and those swishy workout pants that make noises when you walk. He’s also glistening with sweat. Must have just come from the gym.

“You’re so full of shit, Javi. I happen to know that you have good grades.” Javier’s eyes go wide and he looks around and then leans on the table.

“Shh, don’t let that spread around. It would ruin my reputation.”

“Haven’t you heard? Smart is the new sexy,” I say. I think smart has always been sexy, but the rest of the world has taken a little while to catch up.

Javier just laughs and shakes his head.

“So, I was wondering if you book whores would like to maybe go out and do something fun for a change. They don’t look too closely at IDs at the bowling alley and they have great Jell-O shots.” Ugh. I detest Jell-O. It makes me gag. Nothing should ever be that texture, no matter what it tastes like. And I also suck at bowling. But I don’t want to alienate Javier, and we did say that we would go out in public. So it looks like this is our chance. Hopefully I can get one of the other girls, or even a few, to come with me as a buffer. I wonder if Javier is going to bring the girl with the non-dress dress that I met that first night. I’d rather not see her again.

“Yeah, sounds great,” I say.

“I’m in,” Jett says without his normal enthusiasm. Javier doesn’t notice.

“Fantastic. Now if you could bring a few of your lovely single friends, that would make it even better. I’ll find a few friends and we’ll all have a great time.” He turns his head as a similarly buff/sweaty guy calls his name and waves to him.

“Gotta go. I’ll see you two later.” Jett gets a slap on the back and I get a wink.

“Are you sure you’re up for that?” Jett says after Javier leaves.

“What, are you afraid of my mad bowling skills?” I am so full of shit, but Jett doesn’t know that.

“Oh, princess I’ve got bowling moves you’ve never seen.” Cocky much?

“Whatever. I’m going to wipe the floor with you, Fake Boyfriend.”

“Whatever you say, Fake Girlfriend.”

It turns out that all of my friends want to come. Who knew bowling was so popular? With the pre-worn shoes and the sticking your fingers in a ball that other people have stuck their disgusting fingers in. It is NOT my idea of fun, but go along to get along, I suppose. Plus, I really want to see if Jett could deliver on all his talk. Apparently, he’s competitive. Yet another thing to add to the list I’ve been compiling, Things I’ve Learned About Jett. It’s odd for such a laidback guy, but I’m thinking it maybe has something to do with Javier. Like they have a secret bet that I don’t know about. Who knows? Boys are a mystery.

I agree to be the Designated Driver so I can use it as an excuse to turn down any and all Jell-O shots. Jett’s in the passenger seat, and I’ve got Hazel, Cass and her boyfriend, Boyd.

Like most other things in a college town, the bowling alley has been taken over by college students. I kind of feel bad for any residents of Hartford who aren’t college students, but they had to know what they were getting into when they moved here.

We have quite a huge group between me, Jett, Hazel, Cass, Boyd, Jordyn, Tanner, Daisy, Javier and the two guys he’d brought, Marty and Skye. The first thing I realize after we got our shoes sorted out and pay for our lanes is that we are LOUD. Not that there aren’t other groups of students blowing off steam, but we take the cake in terms of volume. By far.

The biggest culprit, no surprise, is Javier. He seems to like an audience. He’s always “on.” Taking it upon himself to get us all organized, he decides we’ll play boys against girls, which I don’t know how I feel about. Javier’s friends are clearly fans of pumping iron, but that might work against them. Or so I’m hoping.

Once we get ourselves set up and plug our names into the computer, Javier organizes a party to go get food and drinks. Jett just looks at me and shrugs.

“You’d better not throw this and let your boyfriend win,” Hazel says. “Boys are horrific when they win.” The rest of the girls nod knowingly. Yeah, I know. Just because I’ve never really had a boyfriend, doesn’t mean I am ignorant of the opposite sex. I mean, I have a Fake Boyfriend right now. I know this.

“No mercy, ladies. NO MERCY.” We all put our hands in and then do a cheer. The boys scoff, but they don’t know what they’re in for. It. Is. ON.

I can add “Jett is an amazing bowler” to my Jett List. Like, seriously good. He’s gotten three strikes in a row. I have gotten two gutter balls and two spares. Nothing to write home about.

But the other girls are picking up the slack and we’re ahead by a narrow margin. Javier’s strength has gotten him two strikes and a spare, but he has a tendency to throw too hard and miss the mark. Same with Marty and Skye. In addition to the points that are being traded back and forth, there’s a hell of a lot of smack talk. Most of it is designed to be inflammatory, and we’re definitely getting some looks from the other more-subdued parties.