What A Lie Looks Like | ✓

1.07: sephine

I regain my senses and plant my heels into the ground pulling myself away from his touch, but still close enough that I was within reach.

"Looks like you have some things to get over," It comes out more confidently than I mean it to, and Tessa's eyes widen clearly not expecting me to be bold.

Her response is calm and collected, "We'll see about that."

Hayes opens his mouth to say something, but I shake my head, and he stops. Cam and Liv are staring at the three of us in shock, and I don't know how I'm going to explain this to them. I'm almost frozen in my spot after realizing what I'd done, but Hayes gently guides me away from Tessa. It's only when we're out of her earshot that he leans down to whisper in my ear. "So, I guess you decided to help me, after all?"

"Yeah," It's the only thing I can get out before we reach Cam and Liv.

I want to tell them the truth, but what truth would I tell without revealing everything I've tried to forget and move past? I think Hayes realizes this, and he does all the talking, Cam and Liv only looking to me for confirmation of what Hayes is saying.

"So, that's why you're wearing his jersey?" Liv pointedly asks me with hurt written on her face.

"I'm sorry for not telling you guys, we just didn't want to make it a big deal." I want to cringe hearing it come out of my mouth, but I also know that to fool Tessa, it has to be believable.

So in the span of fifteen minutes, things had almost entirely changed yet again, and I wasn't quite sure how to feel about it.

"Cam, do you mind riding with Liv back to the school? I need to talk to Seph," Hayes asks, resting a hand on the small of my back.

Cam looks skeptical, "As long as talking is all you'll be doing."

I hit his arm, "Ew Cam, I can promise you that talking is all we will be doing."

Hayes gasps next to me, "And here I was thinking that I'd be getting lucky after that win, babe." He emphasizes the crude endearment to tease me, and I roll my eyes.

"In your dreams," I retort, and he grins wickedly.

"I can promise that you will be."

Liv and Cam decide that they can't hear any more of the playful banter between us, so they head out, leaving me alone with Hayes.

I get in the passenger side of his truck, and my fingers twist together nervously now that I have time to think about what I've started.

Tessa has made it quite clear that she wasn't ready to back off, and she proved that with evidence. I doubt that she would even hesitate before sending it out to the frenzy.

"Well, I guess now we're stuck with each other; do you think we were believable?" Hayes asks after starting the car, and I shrug meekly.

"I think it will be harder to convince Tessa than kissing once in front of her, but I think Cam and Liv believed us for the most part."

"Did you see the look on her face? I wish I'd had a camera to capture that moment, but I doubt I'll ever forget it." Hayes is still on a high after winning his game and in succeeding to piss Tessa off, but what she has over me could ruin the whole point of starting over.

"Yeah, it was pretty priceless. Thanks for well... you know... going along with it?" Except it wasn't priceless at all. I'm sure I just paid the biggest price of all.

He seems to notice my lack of enthusiasm, and pulls over into a nearby parking lot. "Are you okay?"

I force a laugh out, "Me? Yeah, I'm fine." Actually, anything but fine. He doesn't need to know that though.

"We don't have to go through with this if you don't want to," Hayes's blue eyes are peering curiously into mine, and I force myself to look away.

"No, I want to. I'm just having a hard time wrapping my head around what just happened."

"Her bark is way worse than her bite, I promise." His tanned features soften when he sees the expression on my face, "So while you're doing that, should we practice what you started earlier?" He grins, seeing the look of surprise on my face, "Only so we can fool Tessa, of course."

I shake my head at him, relaxing enough to realize Hayes was joking, "There has got to be something seriously wrong with you."

"Or we could both just be entirely fucked up in separate ways, so it makes sense that we would end up together." Hayes muses, and I realize how much more fucked up we could both become if this turns out bad.

"I know what I got us into, but you need to be patient with me. I can't-I'm not looking for an actual relationship. This just has to be enough to fool everyone at school, but we can't be anything other than friends."

I wouldn't think he would have a problem with this, seeing as Hayes always insists that he doesn't want a relationship either.

"Got it, you can say pineapple whenever you want a way out of something, and I'll become the dashing knight that rescues you from whatever mess you've gotten yourself into."

"Why in the hell would I ever just randomly say the word pineapple?"

He smiles widely, "If you ever want to be rescued, you'll say it. I'm a professional rescuer in case you didn't know."

What exactly have I gotten myself into?