Free For Real (Rules of Love, Book One) by Chelsea M. Cameron Page B

At least it’s cold. That’s about all I can say in its favor. A few people come over to say hello to Jett. He’s not Javier, but he’s still popular. I kind of feel like I’m hanging with someone famous. He makes the point to introduce me as “his girl” every time someone stops by, and the butterflies in my stomach start moshing every single time. This relationship might be Fake, but the butterflies feel pretty real.
    I shake hands and am brought more drinks and try to memorize names and faces until my head is spinning from that and the amount of alcohol in my veins.
    “Do you want to get some air?” Jett says a little while later. It’s definitely stuffy in the room with all the bodies bumping into each other.
    “Sure,” I say. We walk out behind the house and back to where there are a few trees that separate this house from the one next door. The sound of the party dims, but we can still hear shouts of revelry in the night. It’s dark, but I walk with purpose until I stop and turn to face him. He almost crashes into me.
    “Sorry,” he says.
    “It’s okay.” He leans up against a tree and I lean next to him. It’s chilly, and the air hurts a little bit to breathe, but it’s better than being inside.
    “It’s times like these when I wish I had a cigarette.” What? I didn’t know he smoked.
    “I wouldn’t care if you did.” My family all did and I grew up with my house smelling like an ashtray.
    “No, no. If I start again, I won’t want to stop. You cold?” I’m shivering and any minute now my teeth will start chattering.
    “A little. But we can stay out here if you want.”
    He shakes his head. “Let’s go back in. Hey, it’s probably good we came out here. They’ll probably think I dragged you off for a quickie against a tree.” I wonder if that was his master plan.
    “Well if we’re going to play it that way, then we should make it believable.” I motion for him to lean down and I shake my hands through his hair, making it a little messy. Then I do the same with my hair. I make him take his jacket off, and I muss both of our clothes so it looks like we put them on in haste. As one last little touch, I reapply my lip gloss and then smear a little on Jett’s mouth. My fingers brush across his lips and he stays still as I do my work, but I want him to kiss my fingers. For a guy, his lips are surprisingly soft, but still firm. Sculpted.
    “What do you think?” I say, putting my arms out to show my dishevelment.
    “Perfect.” He brushes my hair back from my face and his hand lingers for a second on the side of my face. Then he slides his hand into mine and I lean against his shoulder as we walk back toward the mayhem.

 
     
     
     
     

    Pretending we’d had a little nature nookie is the best thing we could have done. Jett gets pats on the back and knowing looks and I hear a few guys whispering about me being easy. Whatever. I don’t give a shit what a bunch of drunken frat boys think of me. They aren’t going to remember tomorrow, anyway.
    Javier, on the other hand acts like I’ve done something that’s worth celebrating. He “buys me a drink” (meaning he gets me a new cup and fills it from the keg) and says that if I ever want to ditch Jett and “come over to the dark side” he’d be more than happy to “show me the ropes.” I feel like he should put air quotes around everything he says.
    Jett just keeps his hand in mine and I lean against him. It’s getting late and the beer is getting to me and all I want was to curl up under some blankets and sleep.
    “You ready to go?” Jett says as I finish the drink Javier had “bought” me.
    I nod and we round up the rest of our group. As I assumed, Daisy is nowhere to be found and when I text her, she sends back a terse response that tells me she’s going to be staying here. Tanner is absolutely trashed. Like, can’t-even-focus-his-eyes-or-lift-his-head-or-remember-his-name. Somehow, between me, Jett and a