I waved her comment away as I headed toward the bathroom. “You’re crazy,” I called over my shoulder, shutting the door on her laugh.
This was not good.
I flipped on the water and then stepped under the shower. Ten minutes later, I was clean and clear-headed. My previous mopey attitude was gone. I felt fresh.
I wrapped a towel around my hair and another around my body and slipped into the bedroom. Michelle must have gone downstairs because she was nowhere to be found. After I dressed, I hung up my towels in the bathroom and made my way to the kitchen.
Dad was standing at the stove with a spatula in hand. He was flipping a pancake and talking to Michelle, who was sitting at the counter with a mug of coffee.
I headed to the fridge and grabbed a pitcher of orange juice.
“Peanut,” Dad said as his gaze landed on me, “how’d you sleep?”
Terrible. But if I said that, he’d ask why. Then I would have to say “Cayden,” and that would just open up a conversation about why Dad thought this was a bad idea.
I was going through with this no matter how Dad felt, and maybe then he’d realize what it was like to be put in that situation. Maybe then he’d understand why I couldn’t stomach the idea of him and Trinity or how unfair it was that they’d sprung their engagement on me.
I opened the cupboard, took out a glass, and filled it with orange juice. Once the juice was back in the fridge, I smiled at Dad. “I slept great,” I said.
He nodded as he stacked another pancake on top of the pile. “Great.” He hesitated and then turned to study me. “I’ve changed my mind,” he said.
I was mid-sip, and his words caught me off guard. Orange juice flew down my throat. I began to cough. “You what?” I wheezed.
Dad studied me with his eyebrows raised. He moved toward me, but I just held my hand up. Once my coughing subsided, Dad leaned in.
“You okay?” he asked.
I nodded. “Yes,” I said faintly. Then I cleared my throat and met his gaze. “What did you change your mind about?” Did I dare hope it was about Trinity?
Dad pushed his hand through his thinning hair. “I changed my mind about Cayden.”
Oh. Right. Of course, that was what he’d change his mind about.
“That’s great, Mr. Lamoroux,” Michelle said.
Dad nodded. “You’ve had quite an effect on the media and their analysis of him.”
I furrowed my brow as I stared at him. “I what?”
Dad set the plate of pancakes down in the middle of the counter. “Apparently, you’ve got this all-American, hometown-girl vibe.” Dad smiled at me. “Which I completely agree with.”
I pulled at my white t-shirt, and then glanced down at my clothes. “And?” I asked, hoping he’d continue.
“Well, you’ve caused quite a commotion on social media. Cayden was right. You helped soften his image. Also, I spoke to your mom. She told me to trust you. That you’ll make the right decision.” Dad sighed as he set his hands down on the counter in front of him, arching his shoulders. “If you want to continue with this fake relationship to help Cayden, then I won’t stand in your way.” He turned and met my gaze. “I trust you.”
I swallowed, my throat still raw from inhaling orange juice. It was cool Dad was saying that, but a part of me had liked that Dad was against it. That, maybe if things got too intense between Cayden and I, I had a way out.
But with Dad’s blessing, I didn’t.
“Is that what you still want?” Dad asked, glancing over at me.
I pushed away my fear and nodded. “Of course. It’ll be fine.” If only I actually believed that.
Dad clapped his hands as he turned to pull down some plates. “Great. I’m happy we got that out of the way. Now, let’s eat breakfast so we can get down to the studio.”
I made my way over to the barstools and slipped onto the one next to Michelle. She reached over and squeezed my shoulders. “This is going to be fun,” she sang.
I nodded as I grabbed a few pancakes and plopped them down on my plate. After they were drizzled in syrup, I stuffed my face.
The ride to the studio consisted of Michelle asking Dad questions about the movie. Apparently, it was some teen-werewolf drama/romance…or something like that.
I tried to pay attention to what they were saying, but the idea that I was going to have to fake being in love with Cayden had my stomach in knots. It was hard to think about plotlines when my heart was pounding in my chest.
Was I an idiot? Once I got out of the car, should I just walk up to Cayden and call this whole thing off?
I swallowed hard against the lump in my throat.
No, I could do this.
I could totally do this.
Dad pulled up to the gate, and the guard in the tower waved him through. In a matter of seconds, we were at the studio and Dad was parking the car.
A slew of reporters were standing around, looking bored. I stared at them as they fiddled with their cameras or looked as if they were having pleasant conversations with each other.
Dad sighed as he waved in their direction. “Are you ready for this?”
I glanced over at him. “That’s for me?”
Dad nodded as he spun his keychain on his finger. “They’re here for Cayden. It’s part of the package. If you want out, I can turn around and we can leave.”
My body went numb as I began tucking my hair behind my ears and rubbing my tongue against my teeth. Why hadn’t I checked the mirror before leaving the house?
“No,” I whispered and then winced at the tone of my voice. I cleared my throat and gathered my courage. “No, I’ll be fine.”
Dad didn’t look like he believed me. “Are you sure?”
I sighed as I slunk farther down in my seat, regret pounding through me like a wave. I took a deep breath as Michelle’s face appeared in my line of sight.
“You can do this, Scar. It’s just a few photos, and then you’ll be inside.” She raised three fingers to make the Boy Scout’s salute. “I won’t leave your side. Scout’s honor.”
I closed my eyes for a second while I took another a deep breath. Inhale. Exhale.
After my nerves calmed slightly, I opened my eyes and nodded.
I could do this.
I reached out to grab the door handle, but before my fingers even curved around the metal, the door swung open.
Cayden’s bright blue eyes and wide smile appeared. He glanced down at me with his eyebrows raised and an amused look on his face.
“I missed you,” he said as he stuck his hand into the car and wiggled his fingers.
I was shocked to suddenly see him there, and it took a moment for my brain to catch up with what was happening.
Cayden was here, waiting for me to take his hand.
Realizing that this was just a normal thing a guy who’s dating a girl might do, I reached up and slipped my hand into his. His hand was warm and strong as it gripped mine. I liked how dainty I looked against him.
“If I’m going to help you, you need to move your feet,” Cayden said under his breath as he nodded toward my legs.
Heat flushed my body, and I forced myself to snap out of whatever trance I was in. The last thing I needed was for my blunder to be broadcast to the entire word.
There was no need for people to know that Scarlett Lamoroux was a klutz.
So I forced a smile—a Cayden-worthy smile—and stepped out of the car.
Cayden wrapped his arm around my waist and pulled me close. My hip was pressed into his. My shoulder fit just under his arm.
It was like we were two puzzle pieces that…fit.
Weird.
He leaned down and pressed his lips to the top of my head as lights flashed around us. A few reporters had their notepads poised as if whatever Cayden was about to say was the news of the century.
“Where did you find Miss…” The reporter leaned in as if he were waiting for one of us to fill in the blank.
“Scarlett,” Cay
den said as he ran his fingers down my other arm and then gripped my hand in his free one.
Shivers cascaded down my skin from his touch. If I’d been tongue-tied before, it was worse now.
It was as if every muscle in my body had forgotten how to move.
Cayden smiled as he talked about how he hadn’t been able to take his eyes off me and knew he just had to get to know this mysterious girl.
I wanted to laugh. I wanted to scoff. The picture Cayden painted of me was one of intrigue. Like I was one of the girls in his movies.
There wasn’t anything too interesting about me. I thought that was the whole reason he’d picked me. I was the average girl next door. Not some foreign goddess who swept into the room and made men’s jaws drop to the floor.
I was a nobody.
Feeling claustrophobic, I nodded toward the cameras as I pulled out of Cayden’s arms and made my way to the side door of the studio, muttering that I needed to use the bathroom. As soon as the heavy metal door slammed behind me, I leaned against the wall and took a deep breath.
My hands shook as I pushed them through my hair.
I’d spent my whole life living a very normal, very predictable life. I mean, I was boring. Even down to the peanut butter and jelly sandwich I had for lunch every day.
I didn’t like change. I thrived on consistency, on routine.
And yet here I stood, having just had my photo taken with Hollywood’s hottest bad boy.
What was happening to me?
Chapter Eight
It didn’t take long for Cayden, Michelle, and Dad to find me. As soon as they stepped into the studio, Michelle saw me and headed straight over to wrap her arm around my shoulders. I could feel her concerned gaze.
Luckily, I’d had enough time to calm my nerves. That was probably the craziest thing I’d done in a long time—well, except for running away with Cayden—and I was feeling pretty good.
The initial shock had worn off, and now that it had, I was better. Dare I say, more confident?
Cayden clapped his hands together and rubbed his palms as he studied me. “That was epic,” he said, shooting me his signature smile.
I rolled my eyes and scoffed. It was fine when he fake-smiled at the cameras, but I didn’t like it. I wasn’t some reporter he was trying to win over. I was his…what? Friend?
I couldn’t help but feel like we were something more than acquaintances. After all, he’d come to Dad’s house yesterday and begged me to help him out. So, maybe we were business partners?
I wasn’t sure, so I settled on symbiotic partners.
Sasha interrupted our conversation to tell Dad that he had a phone call. Dad excused himself and headed down the hallway to his office.
Michelle’s phone rang, and she stepped back outside to take it, leaving Cayden and I alone.
He snickered as he watched Michelle leave. I studied him.
“What?” he asked as he ran his hands through his hair, leaving it standing on end.
I shook my head. “Why were you laughing?”
He furrowed his brow. “When?”
“Just now.”
He shrugged. “It’s just funny. I was wanting to get you alone, and suddenly everyone gets a phone call.” He leaned in. “Maybe I’m magical.”
I snorted. “Yeah. I’m sure that’s it.”
“Could be.”
Silence fell around us as I peeked over at him. What was he thinking? Did I want to know?
He shoved his hands into his front pockets. “You did good out there. I think they bought it.”
I blinked a few times, trying to catch up with the change in topic. “Oh. Thanks?”
He nodded. “I think the fans are going to love you.”
Nerves exploded in my stomach. In an effort to alleviate my anxiety, I started to twirl my hair around my finger. “Do you always lie to your fans?” I asked before I could stop myself.
Maybe it was stress-induced word vomit, but I couldn’t help but correct what Cayden had said about me to the press.
Cayden furrowed his brow. “What are you talking about? Us dating?”
I shook my head as I pushed off the wall and started to pace. “Not that. The whole, mysterious girl thing,” I said, putting air quotes around my words.
Cayden watched me and looked more confused by the second. “What are you talking about?” he asked again.
I sighed. “All that stuff you told the reporters about me?” I shook my head. “Lies.”
He blinked a few times as understanding passed over his face. Then his genuine, adorable smile that literally lit up his face appeared. He chuckled as he stepped closer to me. “So you’re saying you’re not a mystery?” he asked, his voice deepening with every step.
My body froze as I watched him approach. It was like my brain forgot how to work when he was around. Even though my mind was telling me to step away from him, to put some distance between us, I couldn’t. He was a homing beacon and I was a lost and wandering soul.
When he was a few inches away, he peered down at me expectantly.
My mouth had gone dry, so I swallowed a few times as I nodded. “I’m not. I’m plain-Jane. Isn’t that why you wanted me to do this?” I had to admit, even though I knew it was the truth, it kind of hurt to say.
Cayden’s smile faltered as he stared down at me. His eyes turned a stormy blue. There was this adorable crease that formed between his brows, and I could see his thoughts swirling around in his mind.
“Plain Jane,” he said in such a way that made me wonder if it was a question or a thought he let escape his lips. Then, like in slow motion, he reached up and tucked my hair behind my ear.
The feeling of his fingertips on my cheek sent my senses haywire. My breathing turned heavy and tingles raced across my skin. I felt myself lean into his touch, like my body wanted more.
“You are not a plain Jane,” he said so low that it came out almost a whisper. The way he said the words, the way they rolled off his tongue, made me almost believe what he said was true.
That I wasn’t some nobody. That I was special.
I finally rediscovered how to form words, and I whispered, “I’m not?”
He shook his head. “Nope.” His fingers made their way from my jawbone down my neck. Just as he reached my shoulder, he stopped, dropping his hand to his side.
He blinked a few times as if he, too, had been put in a trance.
Then he smiled, his Cayden Rivers smile, and glanced up at me. “Besides, I’ve got an image to uphold. There’s no way a plain Jane could be seen on my arm.” He winked in a superficial, conceited way.
I stepped back, suddenly finding the strength to put some distance between us. I folded my arms across my chest as I narrowed my eyes. Man, did that kid go from hot to cold fast.
“Well, that’s all you’ll be getting from me,” I said, grateful that I sounded more confident then I felt.
Cayden shoved his hands into his front pockets and smiled at me. Almost like I’d just issued a challenge.
“We’ll see,” he said as he winked, turned, and sauntered—yes, sauntered—away.
My body felt hot and cold at the same time. Hot because he’d just touched me in a way that I’d never been touched before, and because he’d complimented me like I’d only seen guys do in the movies. Cold because his movie-star, bad-boy persona was so irritating.
Why did he act like that? Didn’t he know that his true smile was the sexiest thing about him?
I bunched my hands into fists as I stalked off to find Michelle.
I was angry that Cayden Rivers could manipulate me like that. A second in his presence, and all of my walls came tumbling down. And I was annoyed with myself for putting myself in this situation. Why I’d let him get to me both emotionally and physically?
How had I let him in? I was supposed to be keeping my distance. Standing there and allowing him to brush my hair from my cheek was not keeping my distance.
I found Michelle standing next to the bu
ilding with her phone pressed to her cheek. She was laughing, and I assumed she was talking to her mom. I turned and leaned against the building, tipping my face up toward the sky.
The sun beat down on me, calming my frazzled nerves.
As soon as she said goodbye, she turned to me and smiled. “What’s up?” she asked, her brows furrowing.
I sighed as I clasped my hands together. “Can we get out of here?” I asked.
She laughed as she pushed off the building and then wrapped her arm around my shoulders. “Sure. And where are we going?”
I shrugged as we walked through the parking lot and over to the gate. “Anywhere but here.”
Anywhere away from Cayden Rivers.
Production picked up, and over the next week, I didn’t see Dad or Cayden at all.
Dad was gone before we got up in the morning, and Michelle and I would fall asleep to some sappy nineties rom-com before he came back. Sasha stopped by the house a few times to bring us food and Dad’s apologies.
When she was at the house, I managed to learn that Cayden’s image was making a 180, which gave the producers the confidence to continue filming.
They even got Rosalie Pink to agree to come back and be the co-star alongside Cayden.
Michelle gasped as the beauty queen’s name left Sasha’s lips. She reached over and grabbed my arm, shaking it while murmuring, “Best summer ever.”
Apparently, Rosalie was Michelle’s idol. She had legs that went on for days and curves that matched Barbie’s to a T. I was a little jealous.
Michelle asked Sasha if we could go to the studio again, but Sasha just clicked her tongue and shook her head. “Not now, girls. They are behind schedule due to Cayden’s snafu, so it’s full steam ahead until we catch up.”
Michelle let out a groan. I shrugged as I reached into the paper bag and pulled out a can of SpaghettiOs. I peeked over at Sasha. “Again?”
She shrugged. “It’s what I survived on in college. You’ll be fine. Besides, it’s just for lunch. Tonight, you need to make another public appearance with Cayden.”
Rule #6: You Can't Fall for Your Fake Summer Fling: A Standalone Sweet High School Romance (The Rules of Love) Page 6