16
Jimmy
This wasn’t my first school dance. Not even close. But it was the first time I could remember feeling nervous as I pulled into the school parking lot with my old Honda. My dress slacks hugged my hips a little too tight, and the collar of my green button-down shirt was pinching. Still, I got out and forced myself to walk to the doors.
“Play it cool, Alston,” I muttered to myself.
Mia had texted me earlier today, asking me to meet her at the school for the Snow Ball. Seeing her name pop up on my screen had started a chain reaction of feelings and emotions that I hadn’t been able to shake.
Nothing had changed between us. Mia still had her eyes on the prize, and I was just a way to get her there. She didn’t really want me. I couldn’t forget that.
But as I strolled into the darkened gymnasium decked out with sparkly snowflakes, white string lights, and fake snow, my stomach dropped into my loafers. Most of the high school was already here, half of them on the dance floor, but there was only one person who immediately caught my attention. Standing in front of the impressive flower wall that had been set up near the entrance was my date. She had been busy talking to two other girls, but the moment Mia saw me, her eyes lit up, and she turned in my direction.
I’d never seen her like this before. The dress she wore was in serious threat of making me fall to my knees. It was made from a shiny red material that wrapped tightly around her torso and flared a bit at the waist, showing off her stunning legs. She wore matching red glasses and heels, her hair piled on top of her head with a few curls hanging down. But best of all, the way she looked at me—as if she actually couldn’t wait for me to show up—was what made warmth explode in my chest.
“Hi,” I said as I came up to her.
The two other girls giggled and dispersed, leaving us mostly alone in the corner of the gym.
She smiled and blinked at up me. “Hi.”
We grinned at each other in silence for several seconds, until my awkwardness got the better of me.
“You look…” I swallowed and then cleared my throat. “I mean, you are…”
Dang it, what had happened to the idea of playing it cool? This was the opposite of cool. All words had completely left my brain.
“You look gorgeous,” I finally managed to say.
Her cheeks reddened, and she smiled. “Thanks. You look really handsome, too.”
A slow song came over the speakers, and I glanced over at the dance floor. It was filling up fast. There was nothing else I wanted to do more right now than to take Mia in my arms.
“Should we dance?”
She looked longingly at the dance floor for a moment and then took my hand. Heat shot up my arm and down my spine. “Yeah, let’s do it.”
We walked into the middle of the group. Mia turned to me and draped her hands around my neck, just like I’d showed her at Andy’s party. I placed my hands on her hips and tried not to shiver as she laid her head on my chest. We swayed like that for a total of two whole songs while the dance floor lights flashed around us.
For once, it didn’t feel like we were putting a show on for anyone. All the other faces in the crowd disappeared. It was just her and me and the soft coconut scent of her hair as I held her close.
“Jimmy?” Mia lifted her head off my chest and smiled at me.
I looked down at her, absolutely lost in the brown glow of her eyes. This girl was so beautiful. How had I missed it all this time?
“Yeah?”
“Thanks for being my fake date to the Snow Ball.” She chuckled softly. “I don’t think this could’ve been any better, even if it was for real.”
My heart thudded painfully. This could be real. If only she wanted me, too.
“And thank you for the way you treated my dad,” she added with a frown. “You could’ve turned your back on us, but you didn’t. I can’t thank you enough.”
All I had done was help the guy to her truck. It wasn’t much. But Mia made it sound like I’d been some kind of superhero. I kind of liked the way she looked at me. It made me feel like a better man.
I wanted to be that man.
“Believe it or not, I know what it’s like to have your world spinning out of control,” I said, wrapping my arms around her. “My dad and I were lucky. We had people around us to help when mom died. You just need people.”
She smiled sadly. “I don’t know if you’ve noticed, but I’ve never been very good at making friends. Raquel is really the only one I have.”
“I can be your people if you want.”
A tiny line appeared between her eyebrows as she twisted her lips into a thoughtful frown. “Really? You’d do that, for real?”
“For real. No faking.”
I wished that I could confess everything else I was feeling at that moment, but fear still had a grip on my heart. If Mia only wanted to be friends, I could do that. I’d accept that. Even if it killed me.
She dropped her arms from around my neck suddenly and grabbed my hand. “Will you come with me for a second? I’ve got a surprise for you.”
Even though I would’ve given up my favorite and perfectly worn-in baseball mitt to keep dancing with Mia forever, curiosity won me over. I nodded and followed her off the dance floor and through a gym door into a darkened hallway.
It wasn’t easy to forget that the last time I’d been on school property this late, had been an infamous night that led to a crime and a run-in with the beautiful blonde currently leading me by the hand. But things had seriously changed since then. I’d changed. I was making a better man out of myself.
Maybe this was the first step to accomplishing my mother’s dream.
“In here,” Mia said, flashing me a smile as she pushed against the door to the band room.
I had to admit, I’d never stepped foot in there before now. I wasn’t exactly tight with any of the band members. But as soon as I entered, I could see why so many of the band geeks hung around this place like flies. They’d turned it into a little paradise, with posters of famous musical groups plastered all over the walls, Chinese lanterns hanging from the ceiling, and an enormous chalk wall with neon-colored inspirational quotes and lyrics scribbled all over it.
In the far corner was a two-seater couch and plush chairs with thick, bright colored faux fur blankets. Mia led me to the corner, turning on the Chinese lanterns as we went so that a soft orange glow filled the room. She sat on one side of the couch, and I sat on the other, inches separating us.
“I’ve been thinking about giving this to you for a while,” she said, reaching under the couch for a manila folder and a flash drive.
Curiosity erupted inside of me. I had no idea what was in the file, but it shook in her trembling hands as she stared hard at it, her lips forming a troubled frown. I wanted to reach out and smooth her expression away with the pad of my thumb, but I didn’t dare touch her. Not with the way I was feeling now. It would kill me if she pushed me away.
“You said you would be my people,” she continued looking up at me, her eyes dark with emotion. “Well, I want to be your people, too. And this—this is the first step to being that. Even if it ends things between us.”
Dread and shock pricked my stomach as I shifted uncomfortably on the couch. Was Mia ending our fake relationship already? That wasn’t part of the deal. We still had months ahead of us.
I’d been prepared tonight to hide my true feelings. To put on a show for Mia and the rest of the school. But I hadn’t been ready for this. It was much too soon.
I wasn’t ready to say goodbye.
17
Mia
This was so much more difficult than I’d planned. Not because anything had changed—Jimmy was still the most amazing guy I’d ever met. There was more beneath that bad boy image than I could’ve guessed. But because sitting here and wanting him so bad had my tongue in knots.
Jimmy was watching me with those green eyes, made so much more vivid by the green dress shirt he’d worn
to the dance tonight. I’d nearly choked when he’d walked in the gymnasium door. He looked like a movie star on the red carpet—his chin clean-shaven, his hair mussed just right, and his jaw set in a stern expression.
My plan had been to give him his surprise right away, but I couldn’t say no to a couple of dances pressed up against his muscular chest. It had been selfish, I know, but after tonight, he was no longer obligated to me. I had to have one last memory to cherish before it all ended.
I closed my eyes against the glow of the Chinese lanterns hanging overhead. Raquel had arranged for me to use this room tonight. It was a perk of being best friends with one of the band geeks. It was hard to concentrate with Jimmy sitting so close and staring at me, but I had to get through this. Maybe after this, he’d never want to speak to me again. But that was okay. It was worth it to do the right thing.
“Here.” I pushed the papers and flash drive into his hands. “I wanted to give this to you.”
Confusion filled his eyes as he stared down at them and then frowned at me. “What’s this?”
“It’s the article I wrote about you, and that’s the only electronic copy. They’re yours now. I won’t threaten you with them anymore. I know how much your mom’s dream means to you. I’m not going to stand in your way, even if it takes you to practically the other side of the world. It was wrong of me to do it in the first place, and I’m so very sorry.”
The moment I was done with my speech, the weight that had been pressing on my shoulders fell off. I sighed and leaned back into the couch, relief washing over me. That had probably been the hardest thing I’d ever had to do, but I’d done it. No take-backs. Jimmy deserved to be free.
I’d been totally wrong about him. He was so much sweeter than I’d ever imagined. He wasn’t some privileged jock who got everything he wanted and left crumbs for the rest of us. He’d suffered in his own life, and yet he’d still been so kind to me—even as I forced him to fake date me.
“Let me get this straight.” His jaw tightened and relaxed as he stared down at the article in his hands. “You’re fake dumping me?”
I inhaled sharply at his words. Yeah, I guess that was right. Without the article, there was no more fake relationship. And without the relationship, I wasn’t going to be able to write for the “Dear Mia” column again. It was painful to think about everything that I was giving up. Even more painful to think that I wouldn’t have Jimmy around every day. But I had to do this. It was the right thing.
“Yes.” I swallowed hard. “You’re off the hook.”
He stared at the pages for a full thirty seconds, which nearly made me go crazy. I wanted to jump out of my skin. He had to say something.
Finally, he blinked and looked up at me with an intensity in his eyes that made my heart stutter. “Is this because of what happened yesterday at the game with your dad?”
“Yes.” I shrugged. “And no.”
“What’s the other reason?”
I squeezed my eyes shut. There was no way I could watch his face as I confessed this. Just an ounce of revulsion in his eyes would torture me. But I’d come to the dance today prepared to hold nothing back. I didn’t want to live life like that. It was all or nothing. And I had to tell Jimmy how I felt about him. No regrets.
“The other reason is that I was totally blind. You’re not a player. You’re not some jerk with a baseball bat. You’re actually a really good guy and…I’m falling for you.”
Radio silence. I peeked out of one eye to see him watching me, his lips pulling down in a deep frown. My stomach did a flip flop in my gut. At least he hadn’t run away screaming. That was a good sign. Sort of. Opening both of my eyes, I dared to scoot closer on the couch to him, until our legs touched.
“I know it’s a little too late, but I really am sorry for what I did to you,” I said, folding my hands in my lap. “And I know that pretty much ruins the chance of anything happening between us—ever. But I had to tell you. I’m tired of lying.”
He coughed slightly and ran a hand over his smooth chin. “Let me get this straight. You witnessed me burning down the school shed. You wrote an article about it and blackmailed me into being your boyfriend so you can follow some dream to write for the school paper. And then, when you’ve got everything that you want, you cut me loose and expect me to forgive you?”
I winced and stared down at my hands. It was true. All of it. Of course, he didn’t want to be around me anymore. I was the worst person in the world.
“Mia, look at me.”
I bit my lower lip and shook my head. The strength had gone out of me. I couldn’t even look at him.
The article and flash drive fell from his legs and onto the floor. He reached out to cup my chin, lifting it until our gazes met. What I saw took my breath away. His green eyes glimmered with a heat that made my knees tremble. They flicked from my eyes down to my mouth, and I instinctively licked my lips. He let out a quiet sigh, his other hand finding mine still folded in my lap.
“Mia, I have a confession to make.” His thumb trailed a blazing path down my jawline, making my skin burn. “I’ve been sitting in my room every night this week with your number on my phone, trying to convince myself to call you and tell you what’s been on my mind.”
He chuckled, and the sound made my heart thrill. It was such a wonderful laugh. One that I wouldn’t mind hearing over and over again.
“But every time, I chickened out,” he continued, pressing his lips into a thin line. “And instead, you beat me to it. You always go after what you want, even when you’re afraid. I’ve seen you deal with things no teen should have to, and you still somehow manage to dream of better things. I’m amazed by you. And if I’m honest, a bit intimidated, too.”
I laughed and squeezed his hands. It was funny to hear him say he was intimidated by me. I was a nobody at Sweet Mountain High. An annoying fly buzzing around for a story to get me on the paper. Jimmy was the star of the baseball team with the Hollywood good looks and smile that could charm a snake. If anyone was intimidated, it was me.
“Does that mean you don’t hate me?” I asked.
“Not even close.”
His eyes glimmered again, and he brushed the curls back from my face. The soft caress of his fingertips across my cheek made me shiver with want. Immediately, my gaze went to his mouth. They were lips that could make a girl fall in love in seconds and break a heart even faster. They were beautiful and tempting, especially when he grinned at me in that sexy way. I wanted to taste them again. This time, for real.
No more faking.
“Jimmy…”
My voice trailed off as he leaned in closer. He smelled so good, like he’d sprayed himself with cologne just before the dance. I wanted to memorize that scent.
“Mia.” He leaned his forehead against mine, his eyes closing. “I have a secret.”
I hummed and closed my eyes, eager to hear him say more.
“I’ve fallen for you, too.”
All kinds of wonderful emotions burst in my chest. I beamed at him, feeling like I could burst out into song at any minute. Or more likely, grab my notebook and record every single little detail about this moment so that I could remember it forever.
It was no wonder people went crazy over relationship columns. Falling for someone, and having him confess that he liked me back, was a high I’d never experienced before. It felt like riding a roller coaster to the top of a hill and then free-falling on the other side. I couldn’t stop it. I didn’t want to stop it.
Jimmy pulled back slightly, opening his eyes to gaze into mine. I could tell he was feeling the same thing. The falling sensation. It was incredible. Nothing could be better than that. At least, that’s what I thought…
…until, he kissed me.
Unlike the show we’d put on for his friends, this kiss was all heat and fire from the beginning. Jimmy leaned into me, my back pressing into the couch cushions as he cradled my head in his hands. I ran my hands up his back and dug them into his hair, s
ighing into his mouth as he deepened the kiss. Every emotion I’d been holding back, every ounce of tension and desire to feel Jimmy next to me, exploded in that moment. Shivers ran up and down my spine, making my body tremble.
I pulled him closer to me, needing to be fully in his arms. The salty taste of his lips had me craving more. Our chests rose and fell in heavy breaths, my heart running like a pick-up at full throttle. It wasn’t until I was dizzy and nearly out of breath that I finally splayed a hand on his chest to push him slightly away.
“I think…” I had to take a breath to be able to speak. “I think we’d better slow down, or we’re going to start a fire right here in the band room.”
Jimmy chuckled and sat back, raking his hand through his hair. His lips were swollen, and his cheeks red, even in the low lamplight. It made me wonder what mine looked like. He grinned at me, making my insides tremble.
“Yep. Fire and gasoline.”
I tilted my head. “What does that mean?”
He laughed again. “Oh, nothing. But you’re right, we should get back. We don’t want to get caught by one of the chaperones.”
I made a face. It probably wouldn’t be a good sign for us to get caught sneaking around on the first night of our not-faking-it relationship, or whatever this was.
“Let’s go, before we get in trouble,” I said, making a move to stand up. “I don’t want anything else to threaten your last baseball season.”
“Wait.” He reached for my hand and squeezed it, sending a fresh layer of goosebumps up my arm. “Before we go, I have a question.”
I held my breath, wondering what else Jimmy could have in store tonight. He’d already surpassed any expectation I’d had. He’d fallen for me. That was enough.
He tilted his head toward me, flashing a hint of his charming smile. “Will you, Mia Jackson, go with me to the Snow Ball?”
I laughed. “We’re already at the Snow Ball.”
“I know that.” He sucked in his cheeks and tried to hold back his grin. “But it was different before. Will you go with me to the Snow Ball?”
My Fake Boyfriend Page 10