Faking It
(Fake Boyfriend Duet Book 1)
By
Madeleine Labitan
COPYRIGHT
Copyright © 2019 by Madeleine Labitan
All rights reserved. This book or any portion thereof may not be reproduced or used in any manner whatsoever without the express written permission of the publisher except for the use of brief quotations in a book review.
The characters in this book are entirely fictional. Any resemblance to actual persons living or dead is entirely coincidental.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
COPYRIGHT
TABLE OF CONTENTS
CHAPTER 1
CHAPTER 2
CHAPTER 3
CHAPTER 4
CHAPTER 5
CHAPTER 6
CHAPTER 7
CHAPTER 8
CHAPTER 9
CHAPTER 10
CHAPTER 11
CHAPTER 12
CHAPTER 13
EPILOGUE
SNEAK PEEK: SAY ANYTHING
TRUTH OR DARE
BOOKS BY MADELEINE
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
CHAPTER 1
"I can't believe he did that." Allison Turner, my best friend since kindergarten, is gaping at me like a fish. Like she's waiting for me to yell "April Fools!"
But it's not April.
And I wasn't joking when I told her that Brad McNeely, my boyfriend of four months, just dumped me. Dumped me like a freaking hot potato.
I should have seen it coming—but how was I supposed to know? The jerk didn't even give me any hint that he wanted out.
So when he drove me home from school a couple hours ago and told me it was over, I laughed a good minute, thinking he was just screwing around. But when he didn't share my humor and simply stared at me somberly, I realized he was completely serious. And that was when the shock settled in.
"I'm not feeling it anymore," he said softly, his eyes pleading me to understand.
What a load of crap. He was definitely "feeling it" when we made out in the backseat of his car two days ago. What, did he suddenly have a change of heart in that small span of time?
I wish I could say I handled our breakup with dignity. That I acted cool and unaffected and uncaring of the fact that he didn't want me anymore. But my reaction was the exact opposite. I spent a good ten minutes screaming at him while tears ran down my face. If there was any consolation, Brad looked completely remorseful—and totally freaked out.
Now, I'm at my best friend's house and still bawling my eyes out. I probably look hideous already, what with my makeup all smudged up and running down my face. The large pile of tissues tinged with black on the coffee table practically confirms it.
Freaking Brad.
"I don't get it. Why did he dump you? You're a great catch."
"Right?" I sniffle, blowing snot into the tissue before tossing it on top of the pile.
Allie wrinkles her nose at it then turns back to me. "I mean, you're one of the prettiest girls in school. And popular, too. Did he hit his head while playing lacrosse or something?"
This is what I love most about Allie. She says the right words when I'm at my lowest. She knows how to lift my spirits up.
But it's true. I have one of the prettiest faces in Maple Grove High. I'm not even going to pretend to be humble about it. I'm well aware of my physical attributes.
I have long, silky reddish-brown hair that flows down my back. Naturally thick, curly lashes that frame my hazel eyes. Pink, soft lips with a peaked Cupid's bow, and small dimples on either side.
I wish I could say that I have curves to die for, but they're pretty average. No big boobs and hourglass figure on this girl—just your regular B-cup and slim waist and hips. I have a good height though, standing at five feet and nine inches, and topping at six feet with high heels on.
All in all, I'm happy and confident with the way I look.
But back to the real issue—Brad and I were good together. We rarely fought. There was little to no drama in our relationship. And I always made sure to be a supportive girlfriend. If there was a lacrosse game, I would be there to watch. If he wanted to go to some party, I was right there with him. And whenever he had a problem—like a difficult homework—I always provided help.
Our relationship wasn’t perfect, but it was great.
Which is why I'm completely stumped that he broke up with me. Had I been too demanding? Or maybe he found my kissing skills subpar? But he always complimented me for being an excellent kisser. But what did I really know? He dumped me.
"I gotta say, Red, this is the prettiest I’ve ever seen you," comes an amused male voice that makes me stiffen.
I lift my eyes and see Grayson, Allie's older brother, smirking down at me.
"Shut up," I snap, uncaring that he's seeing me looking like a raccoon. It’s just Gray.
I’ve known the guy since I was, like, five. I’ve seen him run around the playground naked, chasing girls and making them scream by showing them his tiny-size dick. I’ve seen him plucking booger from his nose. And I’ve unwillingly smelled his disgusting farts every time he farted in front of my and Allie’s faces back when he was at the obnoxious ages of eleven to thirteen.
He’s different from any other guys I've met. He's the one guy I’ll never be self-conscious with.
But I digress.
Because here’s the thing about Grayson Turner: he’s a senior like Brad and a year older than me and Allie. And again, like Brad, he plays lacrosse. In fact, he’s the captain of the team—which makes him the most popular guy in school. The title, which I know, my ex has always wanted for himself.
He’s also extremely hot. Right now, he’s in a white t-shirt and gray sweatpants, his thick, light brown hair damp like he just came out of the shower. Which is probably the case since I can smell the clean, cool scent of his shampoo from where I’m sitting.
Which does nothing to me because, again, it’s just Gray.
His deep green eyes flash a tad sympathetic as he stares at me. "Sorry to hear about McNeely.”
I freeze. What the hell? How did he know about that? It’s only been hours since the breakup.
“How did you find out?” Allie demands, beating me to it.
Gray cocks an eyebrow. "You two haven’t seen it yet? He already changed his status to ‘single’ on Facebook."
I gape. Is Brad for freaking real? "Are you kidding me?"
"Nope," Gray says, looking like he’s trying not to laugh.
Glad to see he finds amusement in my heartbreak.
"What a jerk!" Allie exclaims, eyes flared wide in disbelief.
I ball my fists on my lap. How could he do this? Was dumping me unceremoniously not enough, and he had to announce it to the whole world? It hasn’t even been a day. The asshole didn’t bother to wait. And the news should’ve come from me, damn him. Now, everyone knows he was the one who initiated our breakup.
"Rat bastard.” I angrily wipe the fresh set of tears rolling down my cheeks.
Allie narrows her eyes into slits. "We should get him for this.” She snaps her fingers. “I have an idea. Why don’t we egg his house or, hell, his car? He loves that damn thing, doesn’t he?”
“Lame,” Gray snorts.
Allie and I glare at her brother.
“Do you have another idea?” she snaps.
Gray’s lips twist into a smirk. “Course I do, baby sis. And it doesn’t take rocket science,” he gloats. “Everyone knows that if someone dumps you, the best thing you can do is to hook up with someone else right in front of your ex. It will make you look unaffected by the breakup.”
Allie makes a face. “That�
�s disgusting, Gray.”
Grayson rolls his eyes. “I’m not suggesting she have sex in front of McNeely. All she has to do is to make out or whatever with another guy.”
“Still disgusting.”
I kind of agree with Allie—but is it bad that I’m actually considering his crazy idea? Now that my breakup with Brad has reached everyone, people will surely expect me to mope around at school. Well, screw them. I’m not going to give them the satisfaction of seeing me look like a loser.
“I can do better,” I say.
Allie whips her head to me. “Uh, what’s that?”
I raise my eyes to Gray. “Instead of hooking up with another guy, I can get a fake boyfriend.”
He flashes me a wary look. “Okay. But why are you looking at me like that?”
Silence permeates the air for a brief moment before Allison blurts out to me, “No. No way. Are you out of your mind?”
On the contrary, it’s one of the smartest decisions I’ve ever made. What better way to show Brad he made a mistake than getting the guy he’s always been jealous of to pretend to be my boyfriend—Grayson himself?
CHAPTER 2
I’m taking books out of my locker when I feel someone stand next to me. Judging from the strong scent of flowery perfume, it’s none other than my locker neighbor, Kiera Jacobs.
“Indie, I’m sorry,” she says, her dark brown eyes filled with pity. “I heard Brad McNeely dumped you.”
I grit my teeth. She’s not the first one to express sympathy about what happened. Just as I had assumed, news of the breakup already reached everyone. And since the school day started, I’ve been getting variations of “I’m sorry” and “are you okay?” from people—even the ones I don’t really talk to. I’m getting sick of it.
I get it. They know I’m the dumpee—thus, the outpouring of "support"—but can’t they see that I’m handling it pretty well? I’m walking down the halls with a permanent smile on my face, acting like everything is fine and dandy. They need to stop reminding me about the breakup every ten damn seconds.
Ugh. If I hear another "I'm sorry," I swear I'm gonna blow.
This is all Brad's fault. He's put me in this humiliating position.
If only it were legal to murder your ex-boyfriend...
I haven’t seen the jerk around yet. I think he’s purposely avoiding me. He probably knows I’m likely to kick his ass the moment I see him. He knows what he did, the rat bastard.
“I can’t believe he broke up with you.”
I squeeze my eyes shut. Patience, Indie.
“Honestly, you were so cute together. I thought you were one of those couples who grow old together, you know?”
Unable to stand it any longer, I close my locker a little too hard. And with a fake smile, I turn to Kiera.
Her ears instantly perk up. If anything Kiera loves, it’s hot gossip. You tell her something and in just a few hours, everyone is already in on it.
Which just gives me the inspiration for what to do next.
"He actually did me a favor, you know? He's never been really good at giving me satisfaction." I wink at her. "If you know what I mean."
Now, everyone will think Brad sucks in that department. Which I find hilarious, considering we've never done it before. Or anything remotely close to it. The most we've done was make out, with him often copping a feel of my chest.
Now, in that area, I can honestly say he truly sucks.
Kiera's eyes almost pop out of their sockets. "Oh, my God. That's major—I mean, horrible."
"I know, right?" I let out a dramatic sigh. "So, really, he's not much of a loss to me."
"Well, that's good to know, girl. Good for you." She slaps my arm a little too enthusiastically. "Because I just saw him making out with Daphne Lynch in the parking lot."
I go completely numb, my heart dropping to the floor as Kiera walks off, unaware of the effect of her bombshell on me.
Brad’s with Daphne Lynch now. Because, of course, why wouldn’t he? She’s one of the Four Blondes, the hottest and most popular clique in school. He probably thought she would be good for his ego and social status.
Pain and fury lance through my chest as questions assault my mind. How long have they started seeing each other? Did Brad cheat on me? Hell, why am I even asking that? Considering it’s only been three days since we broke up, it’s very likely that he did.
Blinking back the tears welling in my eyes, I’m about to head for my next class when I catch sight of Grayson.
He's alone. It's the perfect opportunity for me to once again broach the subject. Now, more than ever, do I need to.
Matching his steps, I infuse cheerfulness into my voice. "Hey, Gray."
Amusement dances in his eyes as he shifts his gaze to me. "My answer is still a resounding no, Red."
When I realized Gray was the perfect candidate to play the part of my fake boyfriend, I didn't waste time and instantly asked him. To my disappointment, he laughed and said no.
But it didn't deter me from trying again.
"You haven't even heard the whole plan yet," I protest.
"I don't have to."
“Please," I plead, giving him my best puppy-dog look. "Do it for my friendship with your sister.”
“Because your relationship with Allie has anything to do with me,” he chuckles.
Not at all. I just thought pulling the brother card would work.
"I really want this fake boyfriend thing to push through. Anyway, it's your fault that I'm thinking of doing it in the first place. It was your idea, remember?"
He suddenly stops, causing me to do the same. "Whoa. That thing wasn't my idea. I specifically suggested you pretend to hook up with someone in front of McNeely, not get a fake boyfriend."
I roll my eyes. "It's basically the same thing, Gray."
"What-the hell-ever. I'm still not doing it. Find another guy who's willing to do your bidding. You’re hot, Red. I’m sure you can easily get one."
I preen at his compliment, but then quickly registers the rejection. “Oh, come on.”
Gah, why is he being so difficult? It's not like I'm asking him to have my baby. All he has to do is pretend that we're dating. And it won't take that long—just a few weeks tops. Where's the harm in that? He doesn't even have a girlfriend at the moment. Which means he's perfect for the part, so I refuse to ask anyone else.
Okay, so the reason why I want him and no one else is because he's the one guy Brad has been jealous of. Brad hates that Gray is hotter and more popular than him. And he especially hates that Gray is a lot better at lacrosse and got the captain position instead of him.
So, yeah, having Grayson as my fake boyfriend will be the ideal revenge.
"Uh-oh." Gray's eyes drift over my shoulder.
"What," I prompt.
Grabbing my shoulders, he spins me around.
It’s the Four Blondes. Well, just the three. Merritt Wayne, their unspoken leader, is flanked on either side by Heather Nielsen and Sydney Cox. With their silky blonde hair flowing down their backs and million-dollar outfits, they look like teen models who just stepped out of a glamorous magazine. And they're sauntering through the hall like they own it.
Did Gray turn me around to ogle them? Please. I’m about to roll my eyes when I see who’s walking behind them.
Daphne. With Brad right next to her. His arm is draped over her shoulders as they stride down the hall, a wide grin spreading his cheeks like he just won the lottery.
"Asshole," I mutter, tears threatening to form in my eyes once again as my nails dig into the books in my arms.
How could he publicize his new relationship so soon after dumping me? He couldn’t wait a little longer and spare me some dignity?
As if he hears my raging thoughts, Brad turns his eyes to me. His face pales and he averts his gaze, looking guilty as hell.
"He's not worth it, Red," comes Grayson's soft voice behind me, as if he can sense the storm within me. I hear him blow out a breath, then, "
Fine. I'll do it."
With wide eyes, I whirl around. "Do you mean that?"
"Yeah." He gives a firm nod, even though there's a hesitant look on his face. "I'll be your fake boyfriend."
*******
When school ends, I hitch a ride in Allie’s car. Now that her brother has agreed to be my fake boyfriend, I have to tell her about it. She needs to hear it from me before someone else can beat me to it.
But instead, we’re talking about Brad and Daphne. Well, she’s talking—ranting, really—about how much of a jerk my ex is. I’m just listening, preferring to gaze outside the window than contribute to the conversation.
What am I supposed to say, anyway? After Brad practically announced his new relationship, the news has spread throughout the school. And no amount of fake smiles could erase the look of pity in everyone’s eyes. I even heard the words “pathetic” and “dumped trash” being whispered while I walked down the halls. It was all I could do not to barricade myself in the girls’ bathroom and cry. It was the worst feeling in the world.
If nothing else, the whole thing just strengthened my desire to show to all of them, especially Brad, that the breakup didn’t affect me in the slightest.
And Gray will help with that.
Several minutes later, Allie is pulling out from the curb and I’m walking into Indie Reads, my dad’s cozy bookstore located in the central hub of Maple Grove.
I inhale the homey scent of the bookstore and take in the countless books on the shelves, already starting to feel better. This…This is why I come here.
Dad is ringing up customers at the counter. Checking that he doesn't need any help, I make my way to the reading area and drop my bag next to one of the plush single-seaters before retrieving the book I've been waiting for months to read. It's an urban fantasy novel that's newly released by one of my favorite authors.
I can’t wait to dive back into the supernatural world he created and revisit my favorite characters, especially the swoon-worthy hero. Brad may have hurt and disappointed me, but Malachi Black will never let me down.
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