The Love Wager by Lynn Painter

            “You okay?”

            Hallie glanced over at Jack as he drove along the freeway—she hadn’t even realized he’d disconnected the call.

            “Oh. Yeah.” She smiled and her throat was tight. “I’m just so tired.”

            “Same.”

            She laid her head back on the seat and closed her eyes, preferring to feign exhaustion over making conversation. Because her fourth honest admission was that she knew exactly what she had to do.

            And it made her want to weep.





Jack


            Fuuuuuck.

            He wasn’t usually insecure, but Hallie had been quiet and distant since running into Alex. She seemed weird about him calling her later, almost as if she was open to it, which made Jack want to toss her phone out the damn window.

            He couldn’t stop his brain from thinking, over and over again like a fucking demonic chant, She still wants Alex.

            Jack pulled into the parking lot of her building and grabbed her luggage from the trunk, and they went up to her apartment. Ruthie spent twenty minutes telling Hallie everything Tigger had done in her absence while Hal snuggled the huge tabby, so he had a few minutes to get his shit together.

            When Ruthie finally left and Hallie closed the door behind her, he pulled Hal into his arms. They were great together, and Alex showing up at the airport was just a blip they’d both forget after five seconds together in her apartment.

            But instead of being her playful self, Hallie looked dead serious as her wary eyes stared into his. So serious, in fact, that he actually felt a pang of nervousness slice through his belly.

            “What’s up, Tiny Bartender?” He kissed the tip of her nose, the center of the constellation of mini-freckles. “You look troubled.”

            She swallowed and said, “Nah, I’m just a little . . . introspective as we leave the fake dating behind.”

            “Introspective, huh?” His heart started pounding—stupid, that—as he got ready to tell her exactly how he felt. If she was ready to talk about their relationship, God help him, he was ready to put himself out there and confess to every overpowering feeling he had for her.

            She nodded and set her hands on his chest. “This is our last night of pretend, and part of me is going to miss it.”

            “It has been fun,” he said, a little confused by her referring to that night, that moment, as pretend when it was only the two of them in her apartment.

            Also—what the fuck—the night before definitely hadn’t been pretend for either one of them.

            “Agreed.” She looked sad as she said, “The lines got a little blurry over the weekend, but you were the perfect fake boyfriend, and I’m so grateful.”

            He didn’t say anything, because his throat was too tight to speak. It was all there on her face, in the fatalistic way she looked up at him.

            Holy shit.

            She was ending things.

            It was over before it’d ever started.





Hallie


            She was dying inside and wanted so badly to crawl into her bed and cry her eyes out. But not before having one last night with him as more than friends.

            “I totally get it if you want to go home and get back to normal. There are probably girls in the dating queue right now, waiting for your response.” She tried to surround it in a sarcastic laugh, but none came out. “I personally will not be getting back on the app until tomorrow, because I’m far too tired.”

            “Hal.” His blue eyes were stormy. “What the hell are—”

            “But if you’re interested, I’m game for one last night of pretend. One last night of Hallie and Jack, the couple at the wedding, having mind-blowing sex.”

            It sounded desperate to her ears, but she was when it came to Jack. She was desperate for one final night.

            His jaw flexed, and he looked pissed as his eyes traveled all over her face. It took a long moment before he said, “Let me get this straight. That whole fake dating game is over and we’re back to being friends, but you want to fuck one last time?”