My face flushes. “No. I mean, yeah. No. I don’t know. I’ve been hanging out. It’s you guys who are all…”
Guilt flashes across Thorne’s expression, but he doesn’t say anything. Not since there are so fucking many of us. Eight plus me. Jack and Aaron are on the football team. Marley and Lydia are Briar’s friends. The only person I’m unfamiliar with is Marley’s boyfriend. I probablywouldknow him better if I showed up to more shit, but…
“It’s Christmas Eve,” Lydia says suddenly. “We’re spending it together as a group, right? There’s some choir tonight, I think they’re doing a singalong sort of thing. That’ll be fun.”
I swallow. “Yeah.”
And yet… how the fuck am I going to get out of doing shit with Mira’s family?
The waitress comes by and takes our orders, and the topic shifts from me to an incident Lydia and Jack saw on the mountain. It isn’t until I tune back in that I realize they sawus. Mira and me.
“He had her on his back, snowboarding down the mountain. I don’t know if she was injured or what, but it was cute as fuck.” Lydia nudges Jack. “Would you carry me down the mountain if I sprained something?”
“Of course, baby.” Jack leans down and kisses her.
Ugh. “We should’ve made a no-PDA rule,” I say under my breath.
Thorne grimaces.
Although, it’s kind of nice to know that my actions were observed and deemedcute as fuck. I’ll have to tell Mira that.
“You gonna come up the mountain with us?” Aaron asks me.
Jack and Lydia are still kissing.
I point to them. “If those two quit it, then yes.”
Marley nudges her friend, and the two separate. Lydia’s face is red, and Jack seems smug. I shake my head, trying not to smile.
Ah, to be young and in love. Can’t relate.
Something twinges inside me—the instinct that what I just said was very much a lie.
Oh, no.
I can’t relate to that, can I?
I’m not in love with afakefreaking girlfriend.
And yet…
CHAPTER 16
MIRA
“So… where’s yourboyfriend?”Cammie smiles deceitfully as she twirls her champagne flute. The cranberries and rosemary sway around the glass, taunting me.
I already downed my Christmas mimosa—the featured drink for brunch at the resort. I wish I had twelve more to get through the rest of the day.
“Why’d you say it like that?” I ask. “As if you don’t know his name.”
Cammie raises an eyebrow and shrugs.
Does she know?
My reality slips. If she knows, then that means my fake relationship with Rhys is over.
Why does that make my heart twinge?
