“Oh, my God.” I sunk in the leather seat and buried my head in my hands.
“The redhead saw me staring and said, ‘Ned always has a soundtrack going.’ She wasn’t making fun of you. It was a very neutral description. The sky is blue, ice is cold, hockey is the best sport in the world. Things everyone should know. I think I stood there for another five minutes watching you while I pretended to listen to her.”
“Five minutes?” I repeated in horror.
“At least. And I realized I knew you. Sort of. I’ve seen you walking to class or hanging out with Kendra at the coffee shop and, yeah…that wasn’t the first time I’d noticed you at the bookstore. So, when Kelly cornered me outside and asked if I was dating the bookstore girl, I said, ‘No, but the bookstore guy is pretty cute.’ That’s it.”
I pointed at my chest incredulously. “I’m the bookstore guy?”
“Yeah.”
“Well, okay. That’s…nice. But I still don’t know why you kidnapped me or—”
“I didn’t kidnap you. It was an impulsive getaway. And given what I’ve just told you, there’s a decent chance that my ex thinks you’re my new…person.” He held up his hands defensively.
“New person,” I repeated.
“Yeah. Hey, I didn’t mean to drag you into any drama. I probably overreacted when I saw you in the kitchen, but I’ve never seen you at any of these parties. And if Kelly saw you, she’d assume you were there because of me. Hell, she might even think I told my friends about us.”
“I doubt any of your friends would believe you were attracted to me, so why not tell the truth? It seems a lot easier than all this.” I shot an irritated glance his way, gesturing wildly in the dark.
“You’re right, except I am attracted to you,” he said softly.
That stopped me.
“Shut up.” I rolled my eyes and snorted.
“I’m serious. Hey, I wouldn’t just call anyone my fake boyfriend.”
2
Logan
Poor guy looked surprised as fuck. And who could blame him? I was running a low-grade psycho fever. Every other word out of my mouth sounded nuts. Fake boyfriend? Shoot me now. The thing was…I didn’t know how to unravel the crazy. Or if I wanted to, ’cause…I wasn’t kidding. I’d had a big-time crush on Ned Bailey for a long time. Years. No kidding.
The first time I saw him was freshman year at orientation. He sat next to a blond guy with glasses who’d leaned against him while the administrator rambled on about school policies and random info most of us would forget the second we walked out the door. Not Ned. He took copious notes. I’d watched him fill two pages from my seat behind him, noting the contrast between the rigid set of his shoulders and the sloppy way his dark hair fell over his eyes. I could have stared at him all day.
There was something compelling about him; I just couldn’t put my finger on it. Maybe it was his earnest intelligence or his quiet intensity, though when he leaned sideways to grab something from his backpack, I’d been mesmerized by his long eyelashes and full lips. Fuck, he was so damn…pretty. And I’d bet anything he had no idea how attractive he was. However, his companion did. When he laid his hand on Ned’s knee, the instant stab of jealousy caught me off guard. I’d made myself look away to scan the auditorium for a hot babe.
I’d been irritated at the time, but I should have been grateful. Being bi was one thing, but actively perving on a cute guy during my first season on the Long Beach State hockey team? Not so smart. If I wanted to see any ice time, I had to keep my bi side to myself. Not a big deal. I’d clued in that I swung both ways when I was thirteen. I popped wood every time my brother’s best friend entered a room and had the same reaction around a few of my sister’s friends too. The realization hadn’t freaked me out. My folks were super accepting and open-minded. I had a gay uncle, two lesbian aunts, and one of my sister’s best friends was trans. Coming out as bi wasn’t gonna rock the boat at home.
But it would on the ice.
That might not seem PC, but it was true as fuck. And for a guy whose hockey career ended at graduation, coming out wasn’t worth the risk. Not that it had been a real issue for me. I’d gone out with plenty of cool girls over the past few years. Like Kelly. I wasn’t horny for a guy. I was too busy with school and hockey to think about anything or anyone else.
Although, every once in a while I’d catch a glimpse of Ned and wonder what I’d missed. Or if I even stood a chance with someone like him.