“Lovely.” I roll my eyes. “Hurry back,darling.” Arden gives me a sardonic smile before pecking me roughly on the cheek on his way toward the door. The movement didn’t feel like it was for show. No, it felt all too natural.
Being close to Arden like this, even pretend, is affecting me in ways I didn’t expect. I didn’t think that he would be so good at being mypretendboyfriend. I thought I would have to drag him to events and beg him to put on the show but he’s been very compliant so far. I guess this whole thing was his idea. He knew what he was getting himself into. Still, I didn’t think it’d be this…easy.
I don’t have much time to dwell on the thought when an incessant buzzing sounds in my ear. Must be a fly, a wasp even. Oh no, it’s Nico.
“Boyfriend? You have aboyfriend?Since when?” His voice is loud enough that the three tables closest to us turn to see the commotion. With wide eyes and an apologetic smile, I push him closer toward the wall and away from the wandering eyes and ears.
“Will you lower your voice? What’s wrong with you?”
Nico huffs. “Who is that guy? Are you really stooping so low to bring a random guy here just to make me jealous?”Shit.“I must really be in your head.” I hadn’t realized he'd stepped closer until I could smell his beer breath in my face.
“You’re going to want to take a step back now.” Arden’s voice is hard and stern.
“Listen, chief. You don’t know what you’re involving yourself in here. Just bow out now and no one needs to get hurt.”
With a firm push to the chest, Nico reels back in shock. Because it wasn’t Arden that pulled him, it was me.
“The only person that’s going to get hurt here is you if you don’t back the fuck away from us right now.”
Arden quietly seethes next to me but doesn’t say a word.
“Danika, this is ridiculous.”
“The only thing that’s ridiculous is that you’re still standing here.” My voice is stern and I know my expression is even firmer. He would be an even bigger idiot to stand here and keep trying this move. But hey, I wouldn’t put it past him. Luckily, he seems to take the loss here as he turns away without another word.
Arden and I watch him go before heading silently back to the table with our abandoned food plates. We take a few more bites and then look at each other.
“Ready to go?”
“Absolutely,” I reply with a sigh of relief. I think we’ve both had enough “fun” for one night. Leaving our empty plates on the table, we walk toward the exit. Arden’s hand finds itself on the small of my back again and this time I can’t contain the smile that it brings me.
Chapter Twelve
Arden
Thekissonthecheek might’ve been a step too far, but I wanted to do it and I don’t know how many of these “fake” opportunities I’m going to get so I went for the kill on that one. Not that she seemed to mind.
The walk to the car is silent but comfortable. I dropped my hand from her back once we got out of sight of any of the people at the party but it wasn’t without effort.
As we got into the car, I thought back to the conversation I had had with her advisor when I got back from the bathroom and saw Nico talking to Dani at our table.
“I wouldn’t worry about him.” The voice to my right had startled me for a second before the recognition set in. Dr. Wilson tipped her drink toward me in greeting before looking back toward Nico and Danika in the corner of the room. “I’ve known those two for four years. He doesn’t stand a chance.”
Looking over at her, I felt a huge sense of gratitude that Danika has someone here who looks out for her as fiercely as this advisor seems to. While her parents don’t seem to give a shit about her, I’m glad someone of authority here does.
I had opened my mouth to confirm what she just said but that prick took a step closer to Dani and suddenly my feet were moving faster than I realized as I had made my way over toward them.
It seemed like Danika had the situation handled, but I still felt compelled to get there and protect her. You know, for her own good. Anyway…
“Buckle up, buttercup,” Danika says, snapping me from my thoughts. “I got some studying to do once we get home so chop chop.”
Rolling my eyes, I do as she commands, pulling out of the parking lot. I want to talk about the way Nico cornered her, the way she reacted to his presence. I want to get to the bottom of all of it, but Danika is pulling her ring on and off her finger—her tell-tale sign of anxiety—so I decided against it, for now.
As I pull into my parking spot in front of our apartment, Danika puts her hand on mine on the gear shift in the center console.
“Thank you, Arden.”
Her voice is so sincere I almost wince. How could she possibly think that I wouldn’t do absolutely anything to make her happy. To keep her safe. How fucked up was her childhood that she feels the need to thank me for just being there for her. We are going to get to the bottom of this, one day. I don’t ever want her to think that she has to thank me for being her friend.