Shoplifting Hearts | ✓

3. fake girlfriend

"you want me to what?" i ask darwin, incredulity lacing my tone. we're walking past the buildings i'd seen only moments ago. to my dismay, the rain has slowed to a drizzle and, no matter how many times darwin asks me, i refuse to take his umbrella.

"i guess you're not just a thief — you're a deaf thief."

"i heard you," i say, sending a glare in his direction. "i just don't understand why you'd want me to do that for you."

he shakes his head and continues to walk, making sure each footstep falls under the limited dry area below his umbrella. "it's about a girl."

i blow a breath through my nose. "isn't it always?"

"i've liked rylie since sophomore year. the only problem is, she's one of those girls that fit in with the popular crowd. i, on the other hand...i'm not exactly the most well-liked student in my school. there's also the fact that i'm pretty sure she thinks of me as nothing more than a friend."

"ha! friendzoned!" i laugh. however, when I notice the unamused look on darwin's face, i quickly regain my composure. "i mean...at least she knows you exist."

"wow. thanks. you sure know how to make a person feel better."

"it's my specialty," i say with a wink.

he rolls his eyes, sweeping a hand through his thick curls, which are brimmed with small droplets that had managed to make it beneath his umbrella. "anyway, you come into play by acting like my fake girlfriend. hopefully, that'll make rylie realize that i'm good enough to get a girl jealous over me."

i snort in response.

"what's so funny?"

"nothing. i just think it's weird that you'd do all that for someone, knowing that it probably won't work."

after he doesn't answer for a while, i look over at him to find a strange expression on his face. "you seem annoyed with me."

he casts me a sardonic look. "your pessimism is rubbing off on me."

"you don't even know me. and anyway, why don't you find some other girl to do this job?" i ask, brows pulled together in genuine confusion.

"like anyone else would do this for me," he scoffs. i don't quite understand what he means, but i don't get the chance to ask him about it. "besides, you'd be doing this for free. if i keep spending money on things as small as this, i won't ever be able to buy my car."

it's my turn to roll my eyes now. "boys and their strange obsessions with cars," i mutter.

"i heard that."

"good."

out of the blue, he turns to me and asks, "why do you like the rain so much?"

taken aback, i look up at the cloudy, gray sky as if it holds all the answers. the water falls onto my face — a lightness to alleviate my burdens — and i realize this is the most blissful life will ever get for me.

it takes me a while to turn back to him, and when i do, he's wearing this funny expression. there's so much i want to say, but instead, i mumble, "it's beautiful. what's not to like?"

he considers the thought and nods before taking a deep breath and stopping in his tracks. "i need to go. i have to be home in time for dinner. meet me at the shop tomorrow so i can tell you what you need to do to play it off as my girlfriend."

i mutter 'okay' and start walking back to my apartment complex.

"hey!" he calls to me before i can turn the corner.

i raise my eyebrows in question.

"what's your name?"

my lips twitch up into a small smile. "kyra. kyra milson."