All the Pretty Lies Read online

  “It’s all just for show,” I say out loud. “Just for show.” And while my mind knows it is, my heart seems to be having a difficult time accepting this fact.

  Because while it’s only been a few days, I know without a doubt that I’m already in too deep.

  What do I do now?

  CHAPTER FOURTEEN

  POPPY

  “HEY.” APRIL SLIDES down in the desk next to me, dropping her books in front of her.

  “Hey.” I smile, despite the fact that this is the last place I want to be right now. I’ve been dreading this day since before we left the lake. As much as I enjoy school, today has a certain air around it. Probably because I know that today is the first day I’m walking the halls as Callum Hanson’s girlfriend. Or fake girlfriend.

  “How was the rest of your weekend?” April asks.

  “It was good. You?”

  “It was good. I hung out with Brock all day yesterday.” She grins from ear to ear.

  “Getting serious, huh?”

  “Seems to be.” She settles back in her chair. “Speaking of guys, where’s your man?” She looks around the half-empty classroom.

  “Not sure.”

  “You didn’t ride to school together?” She hitches a brow.

  “I had to leave early to hit the library before class. I had two books that were due two weeks ago,” I explain. “I was out the door before he was probably even out of bed.” I leave out the fact that this was intentional on my part.

  I’m not sure why I felt the need to avoid him. I haven’t spoken to him since Saturday afternoon when he texted me. I thought maybe he would reach out Saturday night or Sunday, but when the rest of the weekend passed with no word, I assumed that meant our little arrangement was going to be strictly for school. Not that I should have expected anything else.

  “Speak of the devil.” Her eyes dart to the front of the room right as Callum comes strolling in, looking like his usual gorgeous self.

  He’s dressed casually in athletic shorts and a tee, his hair pushed back haphazardly away from his face. My stomach flips when our eyes meet and a warm feeling spreads through my limbs. I swear I forget how to breathe when he smiles, making his way to the corner of the room where April and I are sitting.

  He drops his things onto the desk in front of me and turns, dipping down to lay a brief kiss to my cheek. My face burns.

  “Morning, girlfriend,” he murmurs, dropping down into his seat.

  “Morning,” I squeak, clearing my throat as I glance around the room, noticing several sets of eyes are now trained on me.

  “April.” He nods to my friend.

  “Hey, Callum.” She smiles and gives him a chipper wave.

  “How was the rest of your weekend?” he asks, his attention coming back to me.

  “Good. It was good.” I swallow hard.

  Damn it. Why am I so nervous? This is fake, right? Nerves shouldn’t even be a factor. And yet here I am, feeling like I might bounce right out of my chair from the anxiety pulsing through me.

  “Good.” His eyes dip to my lips for a brief moment, but his head swings forward when the teacher enters the room as the bell rings.

  Without another word, he turns and faces forward, giving me a much needed moment to get my shit together.

  IT’S BEEN A LONG DAY, which isn’t very promising considering it’s only lunch time. I don’t know why I feel so weird. Maybe because I’m used to being invisible and suddenly I feel like there’s a spotlight shining down on me.

  Word spread pretty quickly about Callum and me dating. By third period I lost track of how many people had stopped and talked to me. People that have barely spoken five words to me in the four years we’ve been in the same high school together.

  I guess being Callum Hanson’s girlfriend makes me worth speaking to now. Which is kind of irritating. But at the same time, it’s rather exciting too. Having people flock to me like I’m someone worth being around. It’s something I’m definitely not accustomed to.

  I round the corner to where I know Callum’s locker is, hoping to catch him before he goes to the cafeteria, when my footsteps falter.

  My eyes hone in on Callum, leaning casually against his locker, Brianna Travis pressed so close to him he can probably feel her nipples against his chest.

  Unexpected anger flares in my gut, and without realizing it my feet begin to move again.

  It happens in slow motion.

  One second I’m at the end of the hall, the next I’m grabbing ahold of Brianna’s arm and pulling her back.

  She yelps in surprise and shoots daggers with her eyes right at me.

  “Excuse you,” she bites, whipping her hair over her shoulder dramatically.

  “Excuse me?” I snarl. “Excuse you.”

  “P.” I can hear the laughter in Callum’s voice behind me, but I ignore him and keep my gaze locked on Brianna. “Bri, maybe you should go.”

  “I, uh...” She looks past me to Callum, disappointment marring her face. “Whatever,” she snarls, giving me one last look of death before pivoting, stomping down the hallway moments later.

  “What the hell was that?” I hiss, spinning toward Callum.

  “Come again?” He seems surprised by the anger in my voice. Though I’m not sure why he would be.

  “Everyone thinks we’re dating.”

  “I’m aware. Pretty sure it was my idea.”

  “Was it also your idea to get all cozy with another girl in an open hallway where anyone can see you?” I snip. “Are you trying to make me look stupid?”

  “Of course not.” His brows furrow.

  “Well it sure seems that way.”

  “P, we were just talking.”

  “Looked like a hell of a lot more than that to me. I don’t know about you, but when I have a conversation with someone, there’s usually an acceptable amount of space between us.”

  “That’s just Bri. She’s always been handsy.”

  “That may be so, but you have a girlfriend now. If people are going to believe this is real, you can’t allow things like that to happen. At least not in public.”

  “I didn’t think about it that way.” A slow smile starts to draw up his lips.

  “Why are you looking at me like that?”

  “Are you sure that’s all it is?”

  “Am I sure that’s all what is?” I don’t try to hide my confusion.

  “Are you really that concerned what other people will think of you if they see me with another girl or are you acting this way because you’re...”

  “Because I’m what?” I demand when the words die on his tongue.

  “Because you’re jealous.”

  “Jealous.” I bark out a laugh. “Oh, you have got to be kidding me.” I toss my hands up.

  “I’m just saying, P. You’re acting a lot more like a jealous girlfriend right now than anything.”

  “I’m not jealous. I just needed her to believe I was.” I gesture down the empty hallway.

  “Uh huh.” His grin turns into a full-blown smile.

  “I’m serious, Callum. If people find out what’s really going on here, I’ll be humiliated. I’ll be the laughing stock of the entire school. Poor Poppy Harris. Couldn’t get a boyfriend on her own so she got herself a fake one so she didn’t look so pathetic. Yeah, that will go over really well.” I cross my arms in front of my chest, blowing out a hard breath.

  “No one’s going to find out.”

  “With you behaving like your normal whore of a self, yes, they will.”

  “My normal whore of a self?” He hitches a brow.

  “What? Don’t act like that’s not exactly what you are.”

  “Ouch. Why don’t you tell me how you really feel, P.”

  “Pretty sure I just did,” I quip.

  “Look,” he lets out an audible sigh, “you’re right. We’re dating now and I need to keep up appearances. I got it. But you do realize, this goes both ways.”

  “What does?”


  “I’m not allowed to hook up with anyone while our arrangement is on. And neither are you.”

  “Yeah.” I snort. “Because that’s something I would do.” I roll my eyes.

  “Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t this whole thing about you getting another guy?”

  “And?” I tap my foot impatiently.

  “And, what happens if Ethan makes a move on you? Are you telling me you’d turn him down?”

  “If we were still doing,” I pause, “whatever the hell this is. Then yes, I would turn him down.”

  “Okay, so we’re in agreement.”

  “In agreement about what exactly?” I feel the need to clarify.

  “While we’re dating,” he puts air quotes around the word, “we are exclusive. You won’t hook up with anyone and neither will I. And,” he tips my chin up with the underside of his hand, “I’ll even keep the flirting to a minimum.” He winks.

  “Yeah, I’ll believe that when I see it.”

  He drops his head back on a deep chuckle, his eyes coming back to mine moments later.

  “You don’t have much faith in me, do you?”

  “Can you blame me?”

  “No.” He laughs. “I guess I can’t.” He takes a long moment to study my face, the sudden tension in the hallway mounting substantially.

  “We uh... We should probably get to lunch,” I croak, swallowing past the knot quickly forming in my throat.

  “Okay.” He nods, snagging my hand.

  “And I’m not sitting with your friends, which means you’re sitting with mine,” I tell him as we make our way toward the cafeteria.

  “Pretty sure my friends will be sitting with your friends anyway.” I look at him with confusion. “Brock and April.”

  “Oh, right.” I nod slowly.

  Callum’s grip on my hand tightens as we enter the cafeteria. I try to ignore the various sets of eyes I feel watching us, but it’s difficult to do when I feel the heat of their gazes burning into my back as we grab trays and step into line.

  Because we’re late, the line is pretty short and we make it through in a couple minutes before crossing the room toward my usual lunch spot. Callum follows me over, not at all surprised when he sees not only Brock and Tripp at the table, but Ethan and Hopper as well.

  My small intimate lunch time has suddenly taken a turn, and I’m not entirely sure if that’s a good thing.

  I meet Ethan’s gaze from across the table as I slide down into the spot next to Callum. Giving him a soft smile, I quickly look away. But it’s not because I’m nervous or self-conscious like I usually am. Surprisingly, those feelings are nowhere to be found. Instead, it’s more out of respect for Callum. After the hell I just gave him in the hallway, I’m sure making goo-goo eyes at another guy across the table wouldn’t be the best thing to be doing right now.

  “What took you two so long?” Camila asks to my right.

  “Callum had to stop by his locker,” I say, which isn’t entirely untrue.

  “Uh huh, sure he did. And by locker you mean you slipped into an empty classroom for some alone time.” She wiggles her eyebrows at me.

  “We’ve been over this, Cam. That’s your style. Not mine.”

  “You say that now.” She laughs, turning her attention to Tripp who whispers something in her ear.

  For two people that claimed their fling was over and that they were just going to be friends, they sure do look pretty cozy.

  I turn my head, smiling when I realize Callum is watching me.

  “All good?” he murmurs so only I can hear.

  “All good.” I nod, grabbing my bottle of water before twisting off the cap and taking a long guzzle.

  Our lunch table is a lot more lively than usual. Various conversations and laughter filter around the small circular table, and while it’s a nice change, a part of me wishes it were just me and my girls.

  I could really use their advice right now. Or at least that’s what I think until I realize I can’t actually talk to them about any of this. Not without letting the cat out of the bag.

  I take a deep breath in and slowly let it out, my thoughts going back to what Callum said earlier in the hallway.

  He accused me of being jealous, and while the accusation seemed ludicrous at the time, I’m starting to wonder if maybe he was right. I wasn’t upset because someone might have seen them together. I was upset because I was seeing them together. And whatever grand illusions I had that maybe, just maybe, this wasn’t all for show, went right out the window when I did.

  I feel sick.

  The feeling only intensifies when Callum’s hand settles on my leg, his thumb caressing the exposed skin right above my knee. Heat spreads from the point of contact, all the way to the apex of my thighs, causing an intense ache in my lower belly.

  I try to ignore it.

  I fail.

  My skin prickles.

  My chest tightens.

  And when his hand inches up ever so slightly, I lose my breath entirely.

  Stabbing my fork into my salad, I shove a large bite in my mouth, determined to focus on something else. Anything else.

  Only it doesn’t work.

  He’s barely touching me. Hell, he’s not even looking at me as he talks to Brock across the table about some upcoming party. Yet I feel like he knows exactly what he’s doing. Like he’s purposely winding me up to see how I’ll react.

  I refuse to play into his hands.

  We may be pretending for everyone else, but make no mistake about it—Callum and I are not friends. We are not anything. And when this is all over, I’ll be glad to be rid of him.

  Now if only someone could wave a magic wand and make me believe that’s true.

  CHAPTER FIFTEEN

  CALLUM

  “HEY, SWEETIE,” MY MOM calls from the kitchen as I push my way through the front door. Without saying anything, I head in that direction, finding her standing at the island, a black cocktail dress draped around her slender frame.

  “Hey,” I say as I step into the room.

  “How was school?”

  “It was school.” I shrug, dropping my book bag on the back of one of the kitchen chairs before grabbing a banana out of the fruit bowl.

  “You’re home late.”

  “Yeah. I went for milkshakes with a few friends after school. Guess I lost track of time.” My gaze slides to the oven clock that reads just after four-thirty. “You look nice,” I tack on before she has a chance to respond.

  “Dad’s taking me to see that new musical tonight at the Renard Center. You know, the one about the orphan child.”

  “Sure.” I nod like I have a clue what she’s referring to. I’ve never been a fan of musicals. Something about watching people prance around on stage in ridiculous outfits while singing songs that typically make little sense doesn’t do it for me. “Spicing up date night, I see.” I grin.

  “Something different.” Her gaze goes behind me as my father enters the room.

  He’s dressed in a black suit, his dark hair slicked back away from his face.

  “Callum.” He nods, making his way toward my mother, dropping a kiss to her temple when he reaches her.

  I wait until his attention comes back to me before saying, “Hey, Dad.”

  “How was school?” he asks the same question as my mother.

  “Good.” I take a large bite of my banana. “What time’s the show?”

  “Show is at seven, but we’re going to dinner first,” my mom replies. “Speaking of, we should probably get going if we want to avoid some of the rush hour traffic,” she tells my dad.

  “I’m ready when you are.” He turns back to me. “I left money on the counter for pizza.”

  “I know the drill.” I take another bite of banana.

  My parents do date night every Wednesday. They’ve done it for as long as I can remember.

  “Do you have any plans for tonight?” my mother asks.

  “Not really. I think Tripp might stop by later
for a swim. And I’ve got some school work to get done. Other than that, I’ll probably just veg out on the couch.”

  “Don’t forget to clean up after yourselves.” She narrows her gaze at me.

  “I know, Mom.” I chuckle, finding it amusing that she still talks to me like a twelve-year-old kid, even though I turned eighteen this past December.

  “Ready?” my dad asks.

  “Yep.” She smiles up at him before turning and grabbing her purse off the counter. She stops next to me, pressing a kiss to my cheek. “Love you, honey.”

  “Love you guys.” I turn, my dad clasping me on the shoulder as he passes me. “Have fun,” I call after them as they head to the front door.

  “We will. Call if you need anything,” my mom hollers back seconds before the front door opens and closes moments later.

  I blow out a slow breath, dropping the banana peel in the trash can before heading out to the back deck.

  Retracting the cover on the pool, I do a quick chemical check before opening a couple of the lounge chairs. A noise to my right drags my attention in that direction.

  Making my way toward the back gate, it flies open before I can get close enough to peer over top of it.

  “Dude.” I give Tripp an annoyed look. “You could announce yourself.”

  “My bad. I knocked on the front door but you didn’t answer. Figured your ass was back here.” He closes the gate behind him. “Your parents were leaving as I pulled up. Where are they off to tonight?”

  “Some musical.”

  “Sounds fun.” He rolls his eyes. “But hey, good for us, right? You got any beer?”

  “I think there might be a few bottles in the fridge in the garage if you want to go check. I’m gonna head up and change really fast.”

  “Okay cool.” He nods, turning to go back out of the gate as I head inside the house.

  I make quick work of changing out of my clothes and into a pair of trunks before heading back downstairs. When I step outside, Tripp is already lounging in one of the chairs, a beer in his hand.

  “I take it you found some?” I gesture to his beer.

  “Yep. Got you one too.” He reaches to the other side of his chair, snagging a second bottle of beer from the ground before extending it my way.