The Fine Art of Pretending by Rachel Harris Read Free Book Online

with you would pay off eventually.”
    I glance back at the table, but Mrs. Reed must have returned to the kitchen. She didn’t treat me any differently, so Aly must not have told her about our upgraded hookup status yet. The term curls my mouth as I inhale another cookie. Everything about it feels wrong when it comes to Aly. She wants more, deserves more, than a casual hookup. I know it; now I just need to get her to realize it. Preferably before Homecoming.
    As soon as Justin sees the new post-makeover Aly, his view on her being a Commitment is gonna go straight through the window. He’ll be more likely to buy us hooking up, but it’ll also put her on his radar. I’d prefer if that never happened.
    I look at the cookie I was prepared to devour and hand it over to Drew, narrowing my eyes as I scan the crowd. At least for now, Aly is taken, and as strange as it is that it’s by me , I’ll be damned if I let Justin’s hands get anywhere near her.
    Shaking off the thought, I growl, “Let’s grab a table.” By now, almost the entire senior class has arrived and the room is filling up. Shouting over the mob, I tell Drew, “We need a table for eight. Kara has a new victim.”
    “Make that nine.” Justin’s voice carries across the room, and I turn and watch him saunter over with a tall, curvy blonde. “Guys, you know Lauren.”
    The arm wrapped around her thin waist says he’s clearly over whatever bothered him earlier. There’s nothing a little female companionship can’t solve—that’s Justin’s M.O.
    But for the first time this summer, I’m glad to see Lauren. Being glued to Justin’s hip puts a major cramp in Aly’s plan, and for that, I could almost kiss her. It’s also good to see Lauren preoccupied. Maybe after Drew told her about Aly and me, she finally took the hint.
    Lauren’s mouth curves with a flirty smile. “Hey there, Brandon.”
    Guess not .
    “Hey,” I say, turning back to the door, looking for Aly again. Where the hell is she?
    Our group takes their seats at an empty table. Carlos grabs the chair next to mine, spins it around and straddles it, and says, “So, now that you’re dating Aly, you gonna lay some groundwork with Gabi for me or what?”
    Justin reaches across the table and smacks him upside his head. “What’s your deal with that girl? She blows you off every chance she gets. She’s not interested, and plenty of other girls are. Move on.”
    Carlos grins. “But that’s just it. She’s feisty. Listen, I know she acts like a hard ass, but I’ve gotten the girl to crack a smile a couple times, and let me tell ya, it’s worth it.”
    Justin shakes his head in disgust. “I don’t get you, man.” He leans back in his seat and shifts his attention to the main entrance. “Whoa.”
    I don’t need to turn my head to know who just walked in. Justin’s frozen, and Lauren’s sharp eyes are on mine. I shift around, and as predicted, word of our hookup has spread like wildfire. Pairs of eyes around the room lock on me.
    But not Aly’s. She looks at Justin.
    Right .
    A small grin twitches her lips as she worries the bottom one between her teeth.
    I swallow hard.
    She’s beautiful.
    When did that happen?
    It’s not the new clothes, although seeing she actually has a body is a nice change of pace. It’s more than that. It’s the whole package. Aly’s always been hot, but now it’s like she’s starting to believe it. And her confidence is sexy.
    Behind me, I hear a loud smack. “Ow!”
    I glance back to see Justin rub his arm. Glaring at Lauren, he asks, “What the hell was that for?”
    She shrugs, and my hands tighten into fists. I should be happy for Aly. She’s getting what she wants. But if her plan works, she’ll end up with more than Justin’s attention—she’ll have a broken heart. And I can’t let that happen. Not on my watch.
    Unclenching my hands, I look back, and this time Aly meets my gaze. Her entire face lights up in her signature smile—head