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  No such luck.

  Mom met me as I came down the stairs. She smiled warmly at me, but there was a look in her eyes that I didn’t understand.

  “Mom?”

  “I just started a new pot of coffee. It’s that French vanilla kind you like.”

  “Thanks—”

  “And honey, you didn’t have to hide anything from us. We have never disapproved of your boyfriends. We trust your judgment.”

  I stopped on the bottom step to stare at my mother. Normally the woman made perfect sense. But since I hadn’t had any caffeine yet, maybe I’d just misheard her. “Um…what—” I asked, but then my father came into the hallway carrying his book on WWII pilots.

  “You’re up. How are you feeling?”

  “Fine, Dad. The shower helped a lot.”

  “I’ll bet.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “And while you’re in town, how about we have Jake come over to dinner? Connor doesn’t have to come. It’ll be just us family.”

  “Us family,” I echoed.

  My father nodded, his smile genial.

  “Plus Jake.” Who wasn’t family. Who wasn’t even remotely family.

  “Yes,” my mother said, a forced smile brightening her expression. “I’ll make lasagna. Everybody likes that. Do you think Jake will have time after the game? Or does he have to head back to Indy right away?”

  “Um, I don’t know.” I stared at them for a moment, my head spinning. Clearly, I was missing something huge. “Where’s my phone?”

  Neither parent said a word, and it took me a moment to remember. My phone was now burned to a crisp. At some point during the fire, I’d set it down, and now it was gone, along with my purse, credit cards, and ID. I would have to replace all of them, and the magnitude of doing that had me clenching in horror.

  My mother touched my arm, her caress soothing. “If you hurry, we can stop by the phone place and buy you a new one before the game.”

  The game. What game? But I didn’t ask that aloud. I realized that I needed something more than a phone right then. So I headed for the kitchen and the coffeepot. My parents trailed behind me. As if I weren’t freaking out enough.

  I reached for a mug, but Mom was there before me. “I’ll get it. You sit down.”

  I would have argued, but there were blueberry muffins on the table, and I was suddenly starved. There was nothing like my favorite breakfast treat to keep the world at bay. The problem was that right next to the muffins was a huge pile of Bobcat paraphernalia. Jersey, hat, watch, and even a designer across-the-body purse.

  “What’s all this?” I asked.

  “Well, that’s for you,” Mom said as she brought me my coffee. “We’re already wearing ours.”

  It must have been the lack of caffeine that made me so oblivious, but sure enough, I noticed that the two of them were sporting matching Bobcat jerseys. I knew Dad had one because of Connor, but I hadn’t expected Mom to proudly model a shirt and…

  “Are those Bobcat earrings?”

  “Yup!” she said as the stylized cat flashed in the sun. “There’s a pair there for you, too!”

  I looked and sure enough, there were earrings set on top of the jersey. I touched them gingerly, thinking they were pretty, but I had a good idea how much all this stuff cost. No way would my frugal mother buy all this.

  “How did you get this?” I asked.

  “Well…” My father began to say something, but he didn’t finish. He just cleared his throat and looked awkward. Which left my mother to fill in the silence.

  “It was this woman from the Bobcats. Such a nice woman, wasn’t she?”

  Dad nodded. “Very nice.”

  It must have been Gia. The woman had boundless energy and would be on top of getting me all this Bobcat paraphernalia. But why?

  My father grinned. “Gave us tickets to today’s game. All four of us.”

  Mom nodded. “We’ve got special seats. And she said it would be great if we could look like true Bobcat fans—clothing at all. And it’s very comfortable, really.”

  “Right, Mom. But let’s get back to why they’re doing this.” I didn’t have a suspicious nature. Not really, but this situation was raising red flags all over the place. “Were these from Jake?” That was weird, too, but at least I could understand it. After all, we’d…um…bonded well last night.

  But my mother looked confused. “Oh, well, as to that, I don’t know. I guess they probably were, since you two are almost engaged. Now that your relationship is public, he must have figured you’d like to show everyone. Though that bracelet does tell it all, doesn’t it?”

  I immediately pulled my wrist to my chest in an instinctive gesture. The bracelet was the only thing to survive last night’s fire, and I couldn’t make myself take it off. It jingled a little as I held it close with my other hand.

  My father picked a card off the counter and handed it to me. “She asked if you could call her as soon as you were awake.” I looked down. Yup, it was Gia’s business card. “She wanted to talk to you when she came by this morning—”

  “But I said absolutely not,” Mom cut in. “I wouldn’t have your rest interrupted. We even had to unplug the phone because so many people were calling.”

  I looked over at the phone and sure enough, the connection to the wall was dangling out of the socket. And since my cell was now melted parts, it had been a very quiet morning. “Oh. Okay. Um, who’s been calling?”

  “Everyone. Friends, neighbors, all our relatives—” Mom said.

  “ABC, NBC, the Today show, The Tonight Show,” Dad continued.

  “What?” I gasped.

  “Oh yes,” Mom said enthusiastically. “Everyone thinks it’s so romantic. The way he grabbed you out of the air like that. It scared me to death when I saw it, let me tell you. And then to learn that you’ve been dating in secret because you didn’t want to upset Connor. Well,” Mom huffed, “I just didn’t know the clubhouse could be that cruel. Connor is the sweetest boy, but he does have a protective streak because of his sister, you know.”

  “What?”

  My dad waved a hand in dismissal before grabbing one of the muffins. “It’s a ball club, honey. It’s just like the military. There’s a hierarchy, and Connor’s been playing with the Bobcats longer than Jake. Of course it’d be hard for Jake to admit to dating Ellie.” He shot me a reproachful look over his muffin. “Though I don’t see why you had to keep it from us.”

  “That’s right, honey. I’m sure Jake is a fine man.”

  “Jake is a lunatic,” I said, my temper starting to rise. I had no idea what bullshit he’d been feeding my parents but—

  “Oh yes. Only a crazy person would take those risks on the balcony,” Mom said, pressing a hand to her heart. “But he did save your life. And that boy’s.”

  Right. Heroic, crazy, lying Jake. I pushed up from the table. “I need to get a phone. Now.”

  “Of course you do, honey. But you haven’t eaten a thing. I could scramble some eggs—”

  The front door burst open. Without looking, we all knew it was Rachel. She never went anywhere slowly. And we always had the same reactions. Mom tsked under her breath. I looked up to see what new, exciting thing was going on in my sister’s life. And Dad acted as if nothing had happened.

  We did the same thing this time, and it was a little reassuring—a bit of normal back into my life. Except that when I looked at my sister, she did something I’d never seen her do. She took one look at me and hesitated. Her expression was uncertain, her instincts clearly at war with themselves. She wanted to speak—I could practically see the words building up on her tongue—but she clenched her mouth shut and drew it into a fake smile.

  That’s when I knew my life was in the crapper. Because Rachel was looking at me with sympathy.

  I moaned and dropped my head in my hands. Mom was suddenly at my side.

  “What is it? Do you have a headache? Honey, tell me.”

  I couldn’t take this anymore. I had to know
what was going on, and it was clear that Rachel knew more than anyone else. So I shoved back in my chair and glared at my sister. “I’m fine, Mom.” I stabbed a finger at my sister. “But you’re coming upstairs with me.”

  Rachel’s eyes grew wide, but she kept her lips pulled into a tight smile. “Okay. Um, I brought makeup.” She lifted a tote bag that was dangling from her arm. Trust Rachel to believe that every disaster could be fixed by cosmetics. Or at least improved. Which, come to think about it, suddenly made complete sense to me.

  Then I turned back to the kitchen table. “Dad, is it okay if we go to the phone store as soon as I’m done upstairs? I’m going to have to borrow your credit card to pay for it, but I’ll—”

  “That’s fine, honey.” He pressed a kiss to my forehead. “Consider it an early birthday present.”

  And just like that, my insides settled. Not completely, but a measure of the churning confusion eased because my dad had kissed me on my forehead, just like he had almost every night since I was born until I moved out. It was what my dad did, and at that moment, I couldn’t have loved him more.

  “Thanks,” I said, startled that I was tearing up. In defiance of that emotion, I grabbed a muffin, peeled the paper back, and bit in. “And these are great, Mom. Thank you.” The words came out muffled, but Mom seemed to understand.

  She smiled, and I pressed a crumbly kiss to her cheek. My parents loved me. Knowing that strengthened my ability to face whatever Rachel had to say. But it was time. I grabbed her as I moved toward the stairs, and when she started to talk, I held up my hand.

  “The whole truth. Nothing left out. I need to know it all.”

  Rachel nodded gravely, then pulled up her phone. She thumbed through it quickly while we were climbing the stairs. Then at the top, she started showing me social media feeds. I took her phone and read. Pretty soon, I had to lean against the wall because my knees felt like they wouldn’t hold me.

  “I don’t understand,” I murmured.

  “They’re slut-shaming you.”

  “What? Why?”

  She touched her phone, paging through stuff until there I was, in full HD color. Me with my bare ass hanging out right before I let go of the balcony. My dress was hiked up—not indecently, but high enough—and from the camera’s angle, my butt was clear as day.

  “He’s the hero,” Rachel said, her nose wrinkling in sympathy. “And you did make a big deal about this being an old-fashioned date.”

  I slammed my eyes shut. I couldn’t read anymore. “That was your idea,” I growled.

  “Yeah. My bad.”

  I snorted and glared at her. “But why—?”

  “It’s popular culture. Who knows why the public turns on people? But he’s the hero—”

  “And I’m the villainess?” I shook my head. “I don’t get it…”

  She touched my hand. “Jake wants you to call him right away. He tried last night, but—”

  “My phone is gone.”

  “Yeah. His is, too, but he got another one.”

  Must be nice to have money, I groused silently. Right now, I felt like my life was crumbling around my ears. And all because I went out on a date and had a really good orgasm. But that was childish thinking. I was looking for someone to blame because I felt lost and overwhelmed.

  “So I should call him, huh?”

  “Yeah, you should. But first you have to understand what he did. He needed to give them another story, Ellie. One that was more interesting.”

  Pieces fell into place. Oh, hell. That’s what Mom and Dad were talking about. “He said we were in a relationship, almost engaged? And we’d kept it a secret because of Connor?”

  “Yeah, kind of.” She blew out a breath. “You really should call him.”

  “Yeah,” I said. But I didn’t do it. I mean, what could I say to a guy who’d just told the world we were a couple? Sure, we’d had one hot date. Literally hot. But that did not make us destined for life. And even if my libido was doing a happy dance at the idea of talking to Jake again, my mind couldn’t keep up. What the hell would I say to him?

  Just then the phone rang, startling me so much I fumbled and dropped it. Rachel grabbed it with a curse, then let loose another string of expletives when she saw the caller ID. She gave me a get-ready look and thumbed it on.

  “Hey, Jake. Yeah, I just got here.” Pause. “She’s in a bit of shock, but…well…okay. Here you go.”

  She handed me the phone. My hands were shaking as I took it and pressed it to my ear. “Jake?” I was pleased my voice didn’t wobble.

  “Ellie! How are you? Are you okay? I mean, of course you’re not okay. But are you feeling okay? I mean, after last night?”

  “Um, yeah. A bit achy. How are you? You’re the one who did all the hard stuff. And you hit your ribs—”

  “They’re bruised, but okay.”

  “You should ice them. And rest up as much as possible.”

  “Yeah, I know. The team doc was all over me last night. But that’s not why I called.”

  I swallowed. “Yeah, I know.”

  “I mean, of course I want to know how you’re doing. Last night was scary.”

  And wonderful. And lust-inducing. “I’m fine. Really.”

  “Good. Good. Because I kind of had to do some damage control. Publicity-wise. I know it’s not your fault…Jesus, it would never be your fault. But the internet is dangerous, and people do stupid shit. Say stupid shit.”

  “Rachel showed me.”

  “So I had to cover. I had to—”

  “Lie, Jake. The word you’re looking for is ‘lie.’”

  I could hear his breath catch on the other end, but he didn’t try to deny it. “Um, yeah. I was caught and, um, I had to think fast.”

  “Connor is going to kill you.”

  “I know. He’s already giving me the death glare, but I can deal with him. I’m worried about you.”

  I shifted uncomfortably. I hadn’t dated much, but even I could smell bullshit from a guy’s mouth. “You mean you’re worried that I’ll expose your lie. That I’ll tell everyone that I’m the…” I couldn’t quite say the word. “That I did exactly what I they think I did—insisted on an old-fashioned date that ended up with me half-naked on your balcony.”

  “It’s none of their business!” he snapped. “But Ellie, anything put on the internet lasts forever. It’ll come up every time you apply for a job. They’ll look you up online, and it’ll be there.”

  I winced. I wanted to get that ER nurse job so badly, I could taste it. It’s the reason I started on my whole campaign to get stronger—so I could stand firmly aligned with my goal, despite the possibility of rejection and ridicule. But it would be all for nothing if the hospital’s hiring committee saw any of the morning’s press. They were conservative people who liked their staff to maintain a proper image. This morning’s news could be enough to turn them against me.

  “But how does your lie get us out of this?”

  “It changes the story. It makes us star-crossed lovers instead of…instead of the crap that’s out there now. Look, it won’t last forever. Just for this season, and we’re already halfway through it. Then, sometime this winter, we can break up. Quietly. Nobody has to know. And by that time, nobody will care.”

  Except me. How was I going to have a fake relationship—almost an engagement—with a guy I’d fantasized about for years? I wouldn’t be able to separate my feelings from the role I was playing. It would kill me.

  “Ellie, please,” he begged. And even though it was over the phone, I could still picture his face. Green eyes like new grass, light brown curls falling over his face. His mouth would be quirked in a self-conscious smile, but every part of him would be begging me to agree. And even though it was in my imagination, I grew soft and wet just thinking about it.

  “Jake, lying never works out for me. I suck at it.”

  “You don’t have to do anything. Just smile and be you. I’ll take care of the rest.”

 
; I shook my head. Everything in me wanted to refuse, but what were my options? The last thing I wanted was for my parents to see what the internet trolls were saying. But they’d already heard about Jake and me dating in secret. How could I tell them now that it was all a lie? Worse, I’d have to admit that I’d gone on the balcony and did what I’d done on the first date. Mom would be angry, but Dad would give me that I’m-disappointed-in-you look. It’d kill me.

  “Ellie—”

  “Okay.” I said the word in a rush. “What do you need me to do?”

  Chapter Eleven

  Jake

  I hated being afraid. I hated it, and right now, I was terrified.

  It wasn’t the press, though I was sitting in the pregame press area and being grilled about last night. I’d predicted the questions with 99 percent accuracy and had my answers ready. I just kept repeating that I did what I had to do in the fire, and could we talk about baseball now? I didn’t mention Ellie at all. Just did my best to deflect their attention away from her.

  It worked for the most part, and eventually questions shifted back to the upcoming game. And that allowed me to finally leave the briefing, even though my stomach was still in knots.

  I wasn’t afraid of Connor, either, though he slammed me against the wall in the locker room. He didn’t say a word. Just drilled me with narrowed brown eyes while his jaw muscle worked. He was a man of few words, but damn, his silence made the pain in my stomach spike enough to make me sweat. I stammered out, “I’m not going to hurt her. I swear.”

  It was a lie. I’d already hurt her when I seduced her up to that balcony last night. And now—forever on the internet—there were all sorts of ugly stories about her. I hated it, but I was doing everything I could to change it, and both Connor and I knew that. But Connor’s question was about the future. Was I going to hurt her any worse?

  “I swear, I think she’s the most amazing woman I’ve ever met.” It wasn’t a lie, but it also wasn’t what I’d intended to say. “I want her to be safe as much as you do.”