When Life Gives You Lemons [COMPLETE]

Chapter 3

I only grew more and more confused. "Didn't you guys break up, like, a week ago, though? And don't you always break up and get back together? How does this involve me?"

"You love asking questions, don't you." Mason laughed, and I rolled my eyes.

"Just answer them."

He sighed. "This breakup was a long time coming, and it's final. We're never ever getting back together."

"Did you just quote Taylor Swift?" He ignored me. My eyes slid over to his and I poked his arm. What the hell? Why did I just poke his arm? I tried to forget about my awkwardness. "You didn't answer my last question."

Once at my house, he pulled up next to my mailbox, put the car in park, and finally turned to look at me. "Okay, Emmy, listen. I know this sounds crazy, but hear me out."

I fidgeted with my backpack straps, certain I was only seconds away from losing my lunch. I had no idea what he possibly had to ask me.

"Well," he continued, "you've never had a boyfriend, right?"

I nodded, trying to tell him with the annoyance in my gaze that we had already established that during lunch on the first day of school.

"And I have an ex-girlfriend who I already know won't leave me alone."

I nodded a second time and started drinking from my water bottle to ease the knots in my stomach.

"So...what if we fake-dated?" he finished.

I promptly spit out my water all over his dashboard. Mason looked sympathetic, but as I wiped it with the hem of my T-shirt, his eyes moved down to the sliver of bare skin exposed. My cheeks burned.

When I could manage coherent words, I said, "Fake-dated? Are you serious? Do people actually do that?"

Mason shrugged. "I don't know, but I can give you relationship advice, maybe introduce you to some nice guys on my team, and you can help make Alexis realize that I've moved on and we're finally over."

My jaw was still on the floor. "Isn't that a little weird, though? Don't people think we're practically siblings? What about Caleb and Jess?"

He shrugged again, playing with the watch on his right wrist, a gift from his dad on his seventeenth birthday. "Caleb and Jessie can know the truth but no one else will think it's weird." There was a wicked glint in his honey eyes. "Besides, we've already kissed once before."

My mouth dropped some more. The first time Mason had ever mentioned our kiss, he was proposing to fake-date me. To make matters worse, my first kiss had resulted from Truth or Dare, and now my first boyfriend was going to be fake. A solid start to sophomore year, Emma.

"And I'm the only girl you could ask? I swear I've seen you talk to other human girls before."

"As opposed to non-human girls?"

"Answer the question." I was finding it increasingly harder to breathe, and I debated opening the window even though the A/C was on full blast.

"Those are all Alexis's friends. I can't ask them to 'fake-date' now, can I? And I can't ask a stranger, because what if she catches feelings and I end up hurting her? I'm not a complete dick."

I rolled my eyes and snorted. "How nice of you." At his words, lots of questions came to mind. What if I caught feelings? More feelings, I mean. What if he hurt me? Did that mean nothing to him? Was he really that dense that he had never noticed how I looked at him? I might've tried to hide my feelings the best that I could, but that didn't mean I was always good at it.

I felt like agreeing to his plan was setting myself up for failure, but what excuse did I have to say no? I might fall in love with you, so I can't! didn't roll off the tongue. And he had offered to introduce me to some of his friends on the basketball team; plus, being seen with an upperclassman like Mason would undoubtedly raise my social status. Was that even something I wanted? Being invisible had its perks.

"So," he prompted when I didn't continue, "what do you say?" I wasn't sure what I wanted to do. A bug smashed against the windshield as more questions ran through my mind. What did fake-dating even entail, a bit of handholding and PDA? Was there a rulebook for those in high school that pretended to be in relationships with ulterior motives?

I guess I could deal with being Mason's fake-girlfriend for a little while. Maybe it would even make me realize it wasn't all it was cracked up to be, and I would get over him. The whole "I'll introduce you to guys" thing was a bonus, but also increased my anxiety. I didn't know how to interact with boys on my own who weren't Mastersons. Oh well, what could go wrong?

Famous last words.

"Okay?" I responded, my voice squeaking.

Mason grinned and leaned over me to open the door. "Great." His arm was still resting on the door handle, and it was warm where it hovered across my lap. "I'll drive you to school starting next week."

I nodded, and he released the door. As I got out of the car, my shoes squelching in the wet grass from the sprinklers, I wondered what the hell I had just gotten myself into.