The Protector by Jordan Ford

Author:Jordan Ford [Ford, Jordan]
Language: eng
Format: epub
Publisher: Forever Love Publishing Ltd
Published: 2021-04-05T18:30:00+00:00

23

A New Disguise

I can’t stop thinking about our afternoon kiss. It’s impossible not to.

When we finally pulled away from each other and the world came back into focus, we suddenly both realized what had happened. I quickly placed her back on the floor and blinked like I was coming out of a trance.

Parker had walked off. I couldn’t spot him anywhere.

What I did spot was Tabby’s open-mouth surprise and Wren’s raised eyebrows. Percy looked ready to kill me until I met his gaze, and then he just slumped into his seat and started picking his sandwich apart, one crumb at a time.

Indy cleared her throat and brushed past me like nothing had happened.

And we haven’t talked about it since.

Now we’re sitting in the living room, her legs swung over the side of the armchair by the window as she studies one of her massive textbooks.

I’m sitting there watching a basketball game with the mute button on so I don’t disturb her. The big screen lights the room with a soft glow. The sun’s set and we haven’t moved to turn any lights on yet, just the reading lamp over Indy’s shoulder.

I want to talk to her about the kiss. About how much fun it was teasing her and playing pretend. About how maybe I don’t actually want to play pretend, even though I should because this is a job and argh!

“So, that Parker guy.” Yeah, I kinda can’t help myself. “You think your problems are solved now?”

Her eyes round, her head jerking my way, but then she quickly looks back to the textbook. “Um… maybe. I mean, he left, so that was good. Maybe he’ll stop trying to flirt with me every time I see him.” She clears her throat, her cute little toes twitching as she grips the sides of the book. “And we managed to convince everyone at the table that it was just for show. Which, you know… it was.”

She won’t look at me, and it hurts to swallow.

“Cool.” I try to sound more upbeat than I feel. “Glad it worked. Are you sure you, um… don’t want to keep it going? I’m not sure everyone at the table actually believed us.”

“Yes they did.” Indy slaps her book closed. “If I stick with the same story, they’ll have to believe us eventually, right?”

“Right. Okay.” I bob my head, then look up to the TV again.

“I still think Parker recognized me, though. You know? He’s trying to figure out where he knows me from and… it’s gonna happen again, isn’t it? Whether you’re my pretend boyfriend or not.” She starts biting her thumbnail. Spinning around to face me, her knee bobs uncontrollably. “My disguise isn’t enough.”

“You sure you just don’t want to come out with the truth?” I feel kind of bad asking, considering I’m hiding behind a fake name myself, but Indy doesn’t have to keep fooling her friends. They’re nice people. They’re not going to use her.

“Yes, I’m sure!” she snaps, looking annoyed. “How many times do we have to have this conversation?”

I raise my hands in surrender and turn off the TV.

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