The Stand-In Boyfriend (Greyford High Book 5) Read online

  “Out of all people, you have to go and mess around with Evie’s best friend?”

  “I thought you were Evie’s best friend.”

  He stops when he reaches me, panting. You see what I mean? All the hockey guys boast how good they are but when it comes to a light jog, they’re a sweaty mess. We’ll see how good this season will be, since they lost some of their key players to graduation.

  “Evie’s best girl friend,” he corrects, making sure to put emphasis on ‘girl.’ Like I can’t see for myself that Jessy is most definitely a girl, a pretty one at that.

  “Whatever’s happening between Jessy and me is none of your business.” I throw my backpack on the backseat and pull out the duffle, closing and locking the door behind me. But when I turn around, ready to ditch this conversation, I find Liam standing right in front of me, blocking my path. “Move, I’ve got places to be.”

  “Are you two really dating?”

  “What?”

  “Dating? Because that’s what people have been saying.”

  I grit my teeth in irritation and run my hand over my face. I seriously don’t have time for this. “I repeat, I don’t see how any of this is your goddamn business, Ward.”

  Shoving him out of my way, I continue across campus toward the field, but Liam calls after me. I stop in my tracks, but don’t turn around to face him.

  “I don’t know what the hell’s happening, but people are talking, and she’s been hiding all day long. I figure you’d like to know that, you know, in case there is some truth to the rumors and all that.”

  Fuck. I close my eyes. Just what I needed. What was I thinking? Kissing her like that? I wasn’t, that’s the problem.

  “I’ll take care of it,” I mutter, more to myself than for his benefit, and continue down toward the field.

  Cheerleaders usually have practice at the same time as the football team. So she should be here once it’s over. Maybe by then I’ll know what to do about the mess I put myself, and Jessica, in.

  I’m dragging my sweaty ass back to my car after a two-hour-long practice when I see a glimpse of the brown ponytail with those damn ribbons. Seriously, no seventeen-year-old girl should look that hot with ribbons in her hair. But somehow Jessica does.

  She starts to enter her car so I call out to her, breaking into a jog since I’m not sure that she’ll actually stop to give me the time of day. And I’m right. I can see her clearly weighing her options. I hurry up my pace so she can’t dash before I get to her.

  Sighing in defeat, she leans against the hood of her car, that damn top snug against her chest drawing my attention. “Now I’m sure you’re stalking me.”

  My brows quirk up. “You’d like that, wouldn’t you?”

  She huffs and rolls her eyes. “You jocks are all the same. You’d give anything for just a little bit more attention.”

  I narrow my eyes at her. The idea that she sees me as some attention whore is getting to me for a reason I can’t seem to explain.

  Concentrate, Russell. You’re here for a reason.

  “I don’t give a crap about attention. But you might.”

  Jessica frowns, her lips pressing in a tight line. “What is that supposed to mean?”

  “That means I have a proposition for you.”

  “This ought to be good.” She crosses her arms over her chest. The stance should be defiant, but the only thing it does is push her tits higher.

  Stop thinking about her tits and get down to business.

  “You’re pissy because everybody is still talking about how your ex cheated on you, and they think you want to get back with him.”

  “What the hell…”

  I lift my hands to stop her from speaking. “I just call it as I see it. Doesn’t mean I think the same, or care one bit if you want to get back with him or not.”

  “Well, I don’t. Jack and I are over.”

  “Good.” I nod. Hearing her say it does things to me I don’t want to examine too closely. “But that doesn’t mean shit because we both know that people don’t care about the truth. They want drama. So, let’s give it to them. God knows we already started.”

  “Oh, not we, you.” Jessica pushes off the hood and moves closer, stabbing her finger in my chest, and then once again for good measure. “You started it by kissing me. It wasn’t even that good of a kiss.”

  I wrap my fingers around hers to stop her from poking me further. If this is going to work, we’ll definitely have to work on that.

  “Wasn’t a good kiss?” I almost choke on the words. “What the hell do you know about good kissing? You dated a hockey player for half of last year.”

  She huffs. “I don’t get what your feud is with hockey players, but Jack was an excellent kisser.”

  My jaw clenches at her words. The last thing I want is to be compared to Jack-fucking-Morgan, a king douchebag.

  “Then did you stop to think that maybe it’s you who’s the problem?” The words come out of my mouth before I can think better of them.

  Jessica flinches like I slapped her, her face turning pale. Instantly, I regret my outburst. She might drive me insane, but that was a low blow. A really low blow.

  “Jess…”

  She doesn’t let me finish. Tugging her hand out of my grip, she pulls back without saying a word. Sliding into her car, she closes the door behind her and drives away.

  And I let her.

  Fuck.

  Chapter Five

  JESSICA

  “Who does he think he is?” I ask in lieu of hello as soon as Evie opens her front door. Not waiting for her answer, I walk past her and up the stairs to her room.

  “Umm… I guess that depends on who he is.”

  “Fucking Noah Russell, that’s who! Seriously, how could you date that guy? He’s infuriating.”

  Great, and now I can’t stop thinking about Noah kissing Evie. And kissing me.

  Then did you stop to think that maybe it’s you who’s the problem?

  Is he right? Am I really the problem here? Is there something wrong with me? Something that caused Jack to cheat?

  “Noah?” Evie’s question stops me from falling further down the rabbit hole. There is interest in her voice that wasn’t there only seconds ago.

  “Yes, Noah. Don’t act like you don’t know it.”

  As soon as I’m in her room, I throw myself face first onto her bed, my body bouncing off the mattress as I groan loudly.

  “Wanna tell me what happened?”

  The mattress dips down when she sits next to me.

  I turn my head to the side to face her. “I’m sorry for being such a bitch to you earlier, Eves.”

  Evie waves me off, a runaway strand of her blonde hair falling in her face. She blows it away, but it only moves a tiny bit to the side, while the rest of her hair is piled on top of her head in a messy bun. “It’s already forgiven. So…” She pokes me in the side. “What happened with Noah?”

  I roll to my back and my shirt skims up, revealing a stripe of my belly, but I don’t bother pulling it down. It’ll get cold soon enough, and I plan to use every warm day left to dress in skirts and dresses.

  “That’s what I’d like to know too! You guys left, and I went to drop off my books, and then these girls were talking shit a few lockers down. The next thing I know, bam, he’s walking toward me and kissing me in the middle of the school hallway! Seriously, what is wrong with these guys? Isn’t there anybody normal left in this godforsaken town?” I huff, not one to hide my exasperation.

  “Was it any good?” Evie asks suddenly, her amber eyes shining brightly behind her glasses.

  “What?” I frown at her, completely thrown off by her question.

  “The kiss. Was it any good?”

  “Didn’t you hear a word of what I just said?” I sit upright and cross my arms over my chest, glaring at her.

  She waves me off once again. “I heard all the important things. Now tell me.”

  “What, you wanna compare notes now?”
I lift my brow in question. The question sounds teasing, but there is no escaping the pang of hurt I feel. Am I ever going to be enough?

  “God, no!” Her astonishment is almost palpable, eyes growing wide in surprise. “Why would you say that?”

  “Because you dated him before dating Liam?”

  “We both know Noah was…” She pushes her glasses up her nose, trying to come up with the right words. “Well, never right for me. Kissing him was like kissing a brother.”

  Evie shudders at the words.

  There was nothing brotherly about the way he kissed me.

  The thought comes out of nowhere, surprising the hell out of me. Shaking my head, I push it back.

  “He’s most definitely not right for me either, so I don’t see the point of this conversation. Besides, I decided I’m giving up on boys.”

  “You?” Evie’s brows shot up her forehead. “Giving up on boys? Since when?”

  “Since my last boyfriend cheated on me with one of my teammates, and I was kissed by your ex-hookup because he felt pity for me.”

  I don’t need another man in my life for whom I won’t be good enough.

  Evie’s hand lands on my knee, giving it a firm squeeze. “How can you know that?”

  “I’m pretty sure I’m not the only one who heard those girls talking shit about me behind my back. Literally. They weren’t even trying to be quiet.”

  Her face turns sour. She puts her hand on my thigh, giving it a reassuring squeeze. “It’ll be all right, something will happen soon and drive away their attention from you.”

  I want to believe her, but… “I’m not really sure.”

  “You’ll see.” There is a slight pause. “But I wonder… if everything that happened with Noah happened in the morning, what made you come storming in here now?”

  I look away, avoiding her curious stare. “He might have come looking for me after cheer practice.”

  “Did he?” She shifts on the bed, crosses her legs and leans her elbow against her knee, propping her chin on her hand. She’s observing me like I’m a really interesting experiment. I’m not sure I like it one bit. “And?”

  “He said he had a proposition for me.”

  That gets her attention. “What kind of proposition?”

  “No idea.” I shrug. “We didn’t get to that part because I kind of, sort of, told him that he’s a shitty kisser.”

  More looking away. God, I’m seriously such a bitch sometimes. Not that what he said was any better.

  “You did not!” Evie shoves me away, her mouth agape. “Seriously?”

  “Oh, I did.”

  “I know that. I wouldn’t doubt you for a second. What I really want to know now is, was it really that bad?”

  I think back to the kiss, my tongue peeking out to slide over my lips that suddenly feel really dry. Yup, I can still feel his mouth pressed against mine, his hand on my cheek.

  “And don’t you dare lie to me, missy! I’ll know the truth.”

  “How so? Did you become a witch when I wasn’t looking?” I tease, needing something, anything, to ease the pressure of this situation.

  “Maybe, but no more stalling. Spill it.”

  “It might not have been as bad as I made it sound,” I admit reluctantly, just because I know she won’t give up until I tell her.

  “I knew it!” Evie claps her hands excitedly, jumping to her feet.

  “Well it wasn’t that good, either!” I protest before she can do a weird booty dance or something as crazy as that. “Besides, shouldn’t you be pissed on my behalf? Some friend you are. What he did to you was really shitty. You asked him, repeatedly, if I might add, to stop kissing you, but he didn’t listen.”

  “What he did, doesn’t make who he is, Jessy. I told him, and I’m telling you. I forgave him, and I know,” she presses her hands over her chest, “I know he won’t do it again. Noah is one of the good guys.”

  “He has a funny way of showing it,” I mutter to myself, looking away to avoid the sincerity on her face. I wish I could be as good of a person as Evie is. To be able to forgive people easily and let them back in my life. But I’ll never be like her, not even if I try.

  “So…” She lets the word hang in the air until I face her. “What are you going to do now?”

  “Nothing.” I shrug. “I told you, I’m done with boys.”

  So much for that happening. I barely survived a couple of days, but there is no avoiding him now.

  “What do you want, Russell?” I ask as I exit my car. I would have stayed inside if I thought that would deter him in any way, but he seems like a guy who once he sets his mind on something there isn’t much you can do to change it.

  “To talk.”

  “We did plenty of that the other day, and look at how that turned out.”

  Not waiting for an answer, I grab my backpack off the passenger seat and lock the car before going into school.

  Noah runs his hand through his hair, making a mess of his usually preppy hairstyle. “I want to apologize.” I narrow my eyes at him. “What I said was out of line.”

  “It was,” I say, nodding in agreement.

  He narrows his eyes. “You’re not innocent in all of this.”

  I roll my eyes. “Fine, I’m sorry I said you’re a bad kisser. You’re… passable, I guess.”

  He glares at me, his eyes falling down to my lips before he forces them to meet mine. I lift my brow in a silent question. Waiting to see what he’ll do next.

  Noah made a point to come and apologize, I shouldn’t be mean to him, but for some reason I enjoy giving him a hard time. He seems so composed most of the time, it’s nice to ruffle his feathers, so to speak, for a change.

  “As I was saying…” he continues, gritting through clenched teeth to keep his cool. “I was just trying to help.”

  “By kissing me?”

  I still didn’t see his logic behind that. What did I get out of him kissing me in front of those girls?

  Noah rubs at the nape of his neck, a sheepish smile curling his lips. It’s small, but it changes his whole face, making him more approachable. Almost… sweet.

  Noah? Sweet? Am I going feverish? With the back of my hand I touch my cheeks. They do seem slightly warm. So maybe I’m catching something.

  “It was a spur of the moment thing.”

  “Spur of the moment?”

  “Yes, I heard them talking shit and I saw you…” He trails off, his cheeks turning pink. I blink and look more closely, and sure enough. They’re pink. Noah Russell, blushing? What is this? An alternate universe or something? “Anyway, I heard them, and I reacted.”

  “By kissing me.”

  “You mention that quite a lot for something you deem ‘passable’,” Noah mocks, drawing air quotes. “If you’re not careful, I might think you even liked it.”

  “W-what?” I blurt. This time it’s my cheeks that turn crimson. “I certainly did not!”

  “Whatever you say, Sunshine.”

  “Is there a point to this conversation?” I ask—anything to get off the subject of that damn kiss. “Or do you only like to listen to yourself talk? You apologized. Apology accepted. Now we can move on, each of us in a different direction.”

  I walk around him, more than happy to turn these words into actions. I have to get away from Noah Russell before I do something stupid.

  Yup, off I go.

  Noah’s hand shoots out, grabbing my wrist and stopping me from moving. A chill runs up my arm, leaving soft tingles in its wake.

  “That’s just a part of why I came.”

  There is no way he’ll leave me alone if I don’t let him say what he came to say, so might as well get it over with. “What’s the other part?”

  “I want you to date me.”

  Chapter Six

  NOAH

  “Y-you what?!” Jessy screeches, pulling her hand out of mine. Her mouth hangs open in surprise, her eyes turning round.

  That went over well.

 
I rub at the back of my neck and shift my weight from one leg to the other, suddenly feeling uncomfortable under the weight of those big brown eyes.

  I didn’t expect her to jump into my arms while singing my praises, but I most definitely didn’t expect complete shock either. Hell, I don’t know what exactly I expected.

  “That didn’t come out as planned.”

  “No shit!” She crosses her arms over her chest defensively. “Because for a moment there I thought I heard you say you wanted to date me.”

  “I did,” I say, then quickly correct myself. “I do.”

  “Are you insane?” Jessy shakes her head. Today her hair is loose, those silky, perfectly straightened strands moving from side to side. “No way.”

  No way. Just like that, short and to the point.

  Her rejection hurts more than it should, but I push it back, and cross the distance between us, putting my hands on her shoulders. “Just listen to me.”

  Jessy meets my gaze. Up close like this I can clearly see amber speckles in those deep brown eyes. Her chin tilts up, eyes narrowing in a glare. “If it’s more gibberish about us dating, then I’m out of here.”

  “It’s not gibberish.” I take a deep breath to calm myself. Because if she doesn’t stop being annoying and doesn’t let me speak for longer than a few seconds I’m going to strangle her. “Half the school already thinks we’re dating because of that photo.”

  “A photo that wouldn’t have been taken if you hadn’t kissed me in the first place!”

  “Well, it’s done, and they do. Might as well use it to your advantage.”

  “What exactly would be the advantage of dating you?” she challenges.

  “Except being in my company?” I joke, but the only thing it earns me is another unamused glare. That’s all Jessy ever does, glare at me. I’ve seen her laugh and smile with Evie, but that has never been directed at me. I wonder what it would be like. Being the one responsible for her happiness. “Well, for starters, nobody would say that you’re still pining after your ex.”

  She jolts back like I slapped her. And if my hands weren’t holding her in place, I’m sure she would have bolted right this second just like she did yesterday.