Fake (29 page)

Chay's waiting for me at our tree. She jumps to her feet and slides her phone into her pocket. I'm still surprised at her sedate jeans and shirt but the bright red of her lips is comfortingly familiar.

‘At last,' she says. ‘I thought you'd wimped out.'

I sigh. ‘I thought about it.'

Her arm goes around my shoulder and she half drags me along. ‘By the way, about time.'

I arch my brows. ‘What's that supposed to mean?'

‘Enough with the moping and the agonising. You two are meant to be together.' Her hand on her heart emphasises the point.

Usually I'd laugh but I'm scared that if I do I'll be sick. ‘I hope so. I need to find him first.'

Her eyes are shining with happiness. ‘Joel said all the soccer boys were having a kick over at the field.' She says his name with a little sigh and I wonder how I ever missed such an obvious crush.

‘You guys are talking then?'

She does a little jig. ‘It's a start. Anyway, Sebastian's waiting on the stands …'

‘For me?'

Somehow we've managed to complete the same march I took through the school to confront Joel without me noticing. I look up. A tall figure is outlined against a perfect blue sky.

Sebastian.

When my feet fail me, Chay's hands are in the middle of my back, pushing me forward. That's what best friends are for, I guess. I imagine the climb might take forever but Sebastian meets me halfway.

And everything I planned to say vanishes with his tentative smile. ‘I've been looking for you.'

My heart flips but I dare not hope. ‘Really?' I aim for smooth and come out anything but. ‘Today?'

His nod makes his hair flop over his eye and he pushes it back out of the way. God, I love the messiness of it. He shuffles shyly from foot to foot. ‘And yesterday.'

‘But I saw you.'

‘I chickened out,' he admits.

Sebastian couldn't face me. Here I've been so scared of talking to him, and reading every moment of silence as rejection, when he was nervous too.

The knowledge makes me brave.

‘I've been looking for you too. I wasn't sure whether I should but I flipped a coin …'

He smiles. ‘I must have been having a moment of brilliance then.' Something like hope shines in his green eyes. ‘I didn't think you'd want to talk to me. I was so mean to you when you tried to explain after everything that happened. I've been feeling so bad. About Poppy and Lana.' He looks down. ‘You have to believe that I thought I was helping you. I figured if she knew what a hard time you were having at home that she'd leave you alone. I don't know my sister as well as I thought and I'm really sorry.'

‘Don't worry, I know all about messing up.'

‘The other day, when the truth came out about Aaron, I was angry and confused. I couldn't believe you'd been lying to me the whole time we were together, and it made me lash out.' He looks down at his hands. ‘I thought I knew you.'

‘You do. No one else knows me like you do.' I pause, waiting for him to look up. ‘Are you still angry?'

‘No. It's hard to stay pissed at you for doing the same thing I did.'

I frown. ‘Now I'm confused.'

‘You were right. I wasn't real with you. I swore to my parents that I'd keep away from girls and focus on my studies this year. I needed to do well at school and get work and qualifications for Poppy's sake. I didn't think it would be difficult. I mean, what girl would possibly want a part of my life?'

Me
, I want to cry, but he's not finished.

‘But then Lana did what she did and your face … You were so embarrassed … It haunted me. I'd noticed you before. How could I not?'

He seems to be waiting for a response. ‘Yeah, because I'm so head turning.'

‘You turned my head, and when you were hurting I wanted to help.'

‘So you gave me your hoodie.'

He nods. ‘But talking to you changed everything. I was curious. I wanted to talk to you more. And the more I got to know you the more I wanted.'

My brain is spinning. This hot, adorable boy is standing here saying words I never dared dream of and he's saying them to me. ‘I liked getting to know you too.'

‘You're different to any other girl I've met and I wanted to be honest with you. I wanted to be real.'

‘But I wouldn't let you. I thought if I really got to know you I wouldn't be able to keep you at arm's length. The fairytale was so much easier than reality. I didn't want to get hurt.' I swallow hard. ‘It didn't help in the end.'

He takes my hands in his. ‘If you'd let me tell you about Poppy in the playground that night, maybe we could have argued before I fell …' He clears his throat and his cheeks flush. ‘Before everything that happened, and it wouldn't have ended so badly.'

He's staring into the distance, not meeting my gaze. Was he about to say ‘fell in love'?

My whole body tingles but I ignore the urge to throw myself into his arms. He didn't say he loves me, and he still thinks we would have broken up if he had told me sooner.

‘Because when you opened up I shot you down.'

He looks at me then and there's understanding in his eyes. ‘It's a lot to take in.'

My hands grip his. ‘Real is hard. A baby? I don't know how you're managing that and school and work and everything. I don't know where I'd fit in.' I've thought about it a lot the last few days and still have no clue. ‘Being a dad is immense.'

His hands slide up my arms. ‘You're exaggerating. Poppy is only little. You managed to create a whole adult.'

It takes me a second, and then I realise what he's talking about. I can't help laughing. ‘Aaron?'

He nods and I sock him lightly on the arm.

He winces and rubs it but then his expression turns serious. When he looks at me like this I swear I can hear my heart singing.

‘I know you probably want to run screaming in the other direction, but I think I love you, Kathleen McKenny.'

I close my eyes to hold in the emotion. I don't want to scare him off when we've only just found each other again.

When I open them again he's still here … Green eyes looking patiently into mine. And I think it's one of my very favourite things about Sebastian. There's never been a male in my life who has so consistently been around when I need him. It makes the words filling my brain and my heart easy to say.

‘I think I love you too.'

‘That's pretty cool.' He smiles his crooked smile. ‘You're pretty cool.'

‘So what does this mean? I've never dated a dad before.'

We're leaning so close now his forehead brushes mine. ‘This is all new for me too.'

He kisses me. A sweet touch of his lips on mine. I want this moment to go on forever.

He loves me.

I feel him smile against my mouth and pull away. ‘I don't know what happens next but I think it'll be fun.'

‘With you? Always.'

His arms are wrapped loosely around my waist and I think I could happily die here in the sunshine with Sebastian.

‘I'm never going to be best friends with your sister.' I have to be straight now because while I don't plan any more Aaron inventions, I'm expecting her to try to get back at me somehow. ‘And she's never going to stop wanting you to dump me.'

He kisses my nose. ‘She doesn't get to decide who I date, and I'm damn sure never going to tell her anything that important ever again.'

‘What about your parents?'

‘You can come meet them soon. It won't be easy to change their minds about me dating, but I'll do whatever it takes so I can spend time with you. I thought giving up everything I like would make up for my mistakes, but it's only made everyone miserable. Somehow I need to find a way to be me
and
care for Poppy.'

Stupid emotional tears prick my eyelids. Of course, being Sebastian, he notices.

‘Don't be sad.'

I blink hard. ‘I'm happy. I promise.'

He gives me the 404 look and sighs. ‘Girls.'

I can't help laughing.

I think of the present I bought for Poppy. It's still in the bag in Mum's car. It can wait. We have time. And he still needs to get Mum's approval because I'm finished with sneaking around. But he's so cute and serious I have no doubt he'll win her over.

Hopefully hating me doesn't run in the females in the Elliot family and I can get to know Poppy. I'm at once terrified and excited about meeting this little girl. Sebastian's daughter. The idea is still so crazy but I think we'll muddle through making up how it works as we go along.

Students have passed by while we've been talking, and there are a few boys kicking on the field below. I suspect Chay has stayed in range in case I need her, but a few heads turn when Sebastian steps back and walks to the very top of the stands. ‘There's something I wanted to give you.'

‘Another present?'

He's staring at me and I can tell that no one else but me matters in this moment. To have the full attention of a boy like Sebastian makes my breath catch and heart pound.

His hands go to his waist and he hitches his navy t-shirt out of the way of his grandfather's belt. ‘I know you like things with history.' His lean, nimble fingers pull one end free. He unhooks it and then tugs it out of the first loop. One by one it slides across the denim. His t-shirt rides higher. There's a flash of light brown skin stretched tight over rippling muscle and I couldn't look away if I tried.

Someone whistles.

I gulp.

He's so hot. And he's mine.

‘You can't …' My voice dries up as I catch a glimpse of dark hair, flat stomach and a belly button that makes him at once sexy and vulnerable.

‘I can. Come here.' His voice is low and sexy. Like a magnet it draws me to him, despite my trembling knees.

‘Take it all off,' someone yells.

I chuckle even as I drown in Sebastian's smile. It's only for me.

His hands lift my t-shirt up enough to expose the waistband of my jeans.

Thank you, whatever fates made me wear jeans today
.

He threads the end of the belt through the first loop. I can't breathe. Part of my brain is afraid my legs will collapse and send me tumbling down the steps, but most of me wants him to take as long as possible.

‘People will talk.' This time the person calling out is Chay. If I could shoot her a smile I would, but that would involve looking away from Sebastian.

His fingertips brush my waist as they feed the belt through another loop. I suck in a breath. He does it again, this time lingering on the bare skin.

Fire spreads from his touch.

I'm going to burst into flames right here.

But then he's pulling it tight and standing back to admire his handiwork. ‘It looks good.'

Like his words break a spell, I can look down at the buckle. I think of the times he's talked about his grandfather and what this means to him. I hold it with both hands and rise on tiptoe to press a hard kiss to his mouth. ‘Thank you.'

‘Now it's part of our history,' he murmurs.

People are applauding. My cheeks ache from smiling and I think they're going to have to get used to it.

Our hands link and we turn and bow for the crowd. There aren't as many people as there were when I made a spectacular fool of myself. But this time they're all my friends.

Sebastian leans close and whispers into my ear. ‘Love you.'

I kiss him again because I can never kiss him enough. ‘Love you too.'

I don't know how everything will turn out. But this is my love story and I'm going to live every second of it.

THE END

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

Many thanks to Sue Brockhoff and the team at Harlequin Australia for seeing something in
Fake
and making my dream come true. And to Annabel Blay and Lachlan Jobbins for your insightful (and at times hilarious) edits. You've been wonderful to work with.

To my agent, Ali McDonald, thanks for your continued enthusiasm and support for my writing.

To all my writing friends – your persistence and successes inspire me. To Helen Lacey and Sandii Manning who read
Fake
and provided the feedback I needed. Special thanks to Rachael Johns who not only critted
Fake
, but championed it to anyone who would listen.

Thanks to all my family and close friends. Ro – thanks for reading everything I send you, and commenting with insight. To Caroline, you've always supported me. To Dad for the education I needed. To my in-laws, Dick and Shirley, thanks for looking after the kids and giving me time to write. To my fabulous sisters, Fi and Kirsty, for being excited for me as only someone who knew you when you were a baby can. Thanks for always being there.

To my beautiful Mum, who always believed in me. I wish you were here to see this.

And last, but most of all, thank you to my children who show me every day that anything is possible and who never fail to make me laugh. And to my husband, David, for supporting me in every way and making sure I never gave up. I couldn't have done this without you. I love you guys.

FAKE Playlist

Listening to these songs reminds me of the themes of Fake:

Do I Wanna Know by Arctic Monkeys

Confide in Me by Kylie Minogue

Aaron's band, Fake, is a combination of a few bands. Listening to this will give you an idea:

One Armed Scissor by At the Drive In

A few songs that make me think of Kath:

Girlfriend by Avril Lavigne

Strong by London Grammar

Chasing Cars by Snow Patrol

Love Story by Taylor Swift [this song reminds me of the stories she makes up about the antiques she finds]

And since we only know Sebastian through Kath, Green Eyes by Coldplay perhaps describes him, and I think he'd listen to bands like Boards of Canada and Mogwai.