Series: Webs We Weave Series by Krista Ritchie
Total pages in book: 130
Estimated words: 126927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
Estimated words: 126927 (not accurate)
Estimated Reading Time in minutes: 635(@200wpm)___ 508(@250wpm)___ 423(@300wpm)
For myself, this time.
I set the soda down.
That also means ending my fake relationship. “Jake.” I face him across the bar.
“Yeah?”
I motion him closer, and as he stretches over the bar, women in the club seem to watch us with rapt fascination, as though Jake and I are sharing flirty secrets in the corner. My face burns. Thankfully, we’ve yet to share a fake kiss to establish credibility. I’m very glad we’re ending things before taking the next physical step in this pretend relationship.
“We need to wrap this up. You and me,” I say in a hushed breath. “Like, now. You can yell at me, storm away—I don’t care. We just need to rip off the Band-Aid.”
Jake tenses. “About that . . .”
I read the hard lines of his face. “No, we’re not delaying—”
“I just need this to go on for another month.”
“A month?” I try not to yell. My heart is skipping beats. “Jake—”
“The family dinner, Phoebe.” Urgency is all over my name. “You don’t understand. I really need you there for that.” He drops his voice to a whisper. “If I don’t bring you, my mom will invite Mrs. Kelsey’s daughter, Julia, as my date. That’s her plan, as of right now. She blatantly told me this morning.”
I’ve met Julia at an afternoon tea. Best part: the teeny-tiny cucumber sandwiches. That I didn’t have to pay for—thank you, Mrs. Kelsey. What I learned: Julia is shy and lets her mother do most of the talking. His fears aren’t exactly unwarranted. I can see Julia being overly agreeable to Claudia’s requests and demands, but I don’t even know exactly what those are.
It’s not like I’ve had a formal sit-down with Claudia. She treats me like a literal skunk, not just an outsider with the cutesy (slightly demeaning) town nickname.
I frown. “If this is just about Julia, you could warn her—tell her don’t come.”
He lets out a laugh like that’s an impossible ask. “I warn her, but her mother pushes her to go. Who do you think she’ll listen to?” His blue eyes cradle my gaze with tenderness. “I’d rather you come with me. We’re already together.”
Fuck, fuck. “We were supposed to break up last night,” I whisper, careful of the watchful eyes around us.
“But we didn’t. Everyone believes we’re still a couple, and let’s let them.” He adds earnestly, “Julia is only twenty-two. She’s never been around my brothers—”
“Neither have I,” I cut in. And I’m only two years older.
“If you can handle your ex, you can handle them.” He has the utmost confidence in me, but it’s mildly disturbing that he’s comparing Rocky to his brothers. He places a comforting hand to my wrist, and his touch should feel heavy, burdensome—but it’s become familiar and reassuring.
Still, I waver.
He sees. “It doesn’t have to be forever.”
“Jake—”
“Please. Just a couple more months.”
“Now it’s two more months?”
“One month,” he amends fast. “One month.”
I shake my head. “I can’t—”
“I’m begging you here—”
“I can’t.”
“Please—”
“I’m with Rocky,” I whisper-hiss, and my face is on fire. This is not how I wanted to tell anyone my real relationship status, and I can’t believe Jake—of all freaking people—is the first to know the truth.
His face freezes. “You’re back with your ex-husband?”
Okay, he also knows some lies.
I nod tensely. “It just happened . . . recently.”
He’s unenthused, but I never thought he’d throw confetti seeing me reunite with a guy he believes is bad for me. Plus, I think he really hoped I’d get over Rocky by dating him.
I clear my throat, adding, “And if you want our fake relationship to extend past five minutes from now, I need to call him.” I can’t let this go on without Rocky knowing. If our positions were reversed, I’d be crushed.
Jake takes a tense breath. “Let me talk to him.”
“Fine,” I say. “You talk to him . . .” My voice tapers off as a slender fortysomething woman dripping in Chanel approaches the bar.
Stella Fitzpatrick. She’s the kind of person who demands attention when requested. Her son, Archer, a professor at Caufield, was at the boathouse party months ago.
I think she’s headed for Jake, but she zeroes in on me. She must want a drink.
I’m about to ask what I can get her.
“Phoebe, sweets.”
Sweets?
She’s only ever called me you and hey. Even after I started dating Jake. It’s no secret she’s Claudia’s best friend and firmly against me dating a Koning boy.
“Yes?” I say, hoping this’ll be a quick flyby for her.
“I need to chat alone with you for a moment. Jake won’t mind if I steal you for a bit.”
Jake starts, “Actually—”
“Oh please.” She swats him with a playful smile laced with arsenic. “It’ll only be a moment. You can spare your girlfriend that much.”
I detect her slight cringe at the word girlfriend.
Jake turns to me. “You okay with that, babe?”