Cupcake Kisses

Chapter 10: Naked Mole-Rat

At the mention of Austin I visibly stiffened, my confidence gone.

It had been exactly a week since mine and Austin's fake date. He had mentioned that he wanted to go on another date, but I kept making up excuses as to why I couldn't go. Maintaining our fake relationship was turning out to be more work than I had originally thought and I was simply too lazy to make much of an effort.

However, I did know that I had to keep up this lie about us being a real couple for Austin's sake, but Luke constantly doubting our relationship was not helping.

"I told you, I have too much homework. That's it," I mumbled.

"Are you two having relationship problems?"

"No," I said, quickly.

"Ah," Luke said. "So you are."

"We're not!" I insisted, glaring at Luke.

"Then why don't you want to come to the bonfire?"

"I told you, I have too much homework."

Luke stared down at me, running a hand through his hair before letting out an annoyed sigh.

"Listen Ella," he began. "You and I both know this isn't the reason you're not coming tonight. So how about you tell me the real reason you're not coming, before I'm forced to dangle you upside down again?"

I glared at him.

The memory of the last time I was dangled upside down was all too clear in my mind.

"You wouldn't dare."

"Oh, but I would."

"Why can't you just accept the fact that I don't want to do everything you want to do?" I snapped.

"Because you haven't given me a valid reason for why you don't want to do it."

"Maybe I just don't want to do it!"

"That's not a valid reason..."

"Alright, fine!" I snapped, scowling at him. "You want to know why I don't want to come?"

Luke nodded.

"I don't want to come because I don't belong there." Luke opened his mouth to interrupt but I cut him off, continuing to speak. "I don't hang out at the beach and get drunk every Friday night like everybody else does. I have two friends, Luke. Two. We spend our Fridays eating Lucky Charms and watching Molly Ringwald movies. I don't want to come to the bonfire because I'm a massive socially awkward loser, okay? Is that what you wanted to hear?"

Luke stared at me, looking incredibly taken aback by my sudden outburst.

"Sorry," I mumbled, immediately blushing as the embarrassment of what I had just said sunk in. "I didn't mean..."

"Didn't mean what? The part about the Lucky Charms or the part about being a massive socially awkward loser?" Luke raised an eyebrow, a teasing smirk on his face.

Great.

Now he was making fun of me.

"Shut up," I mumbled. "I basically poured my heart out to you and you're making fun of me."

Luke scoffed. "I would hardly call that pouring your heart out."

"At least I have a heart."

"At least I'm hot."

"Please," I rolled my eyes. "Don't lie to yourself."

"I think it's you that's lying to yourself," Luke took a step closer to me. "You don't have to deny it, I know you're attracted to me."