“No, but there was the one Pulitzer winner. I’m a complete nobody. So. I told you I’d been in love with you for years. On your birthday.”
I wished.
“Okay,” I agreed. “I haven’t regretted a second of it, though.”
“Not even when I leave my towels on the floor?”
Simondidleave his towels on the floor. I’d never minded either hanging them up or tossing them in the laundry hamper. He always unloaded the dishwasher because I hated it. I’d cleaned the kitchen. He’d done the laundry. We’d worked well together. We’d always worked well together.
“Not even then,” I said, turning my head to look at him.
There was less than an inch between our noses. I was rarely this close to Simon’s face—partly because I was afraid that if I was, he’d finally notice the way I couldn’t help looking at him.
The corners of his eyes crinkled as he smiled.
“Not even then,” I repeated, softer. “You’re the best boyfriend I’ve ever had.”
I knew that’d be true. What was the point in pretending otherwise?
“But you’ve had better girlfriends?” Simon teased, breaking into an outright grin.
I huffed, swatting at his thigh. “Best romantic partner I’ve ever had,” I insisted.
He would be. No one would compare.
If I was really dating Simon, I knew he’d ruin me for anyone else. I’d been looking for another Simon ever since we met, and no one had even come close.
I was starting to worry that pretending to date him, even if it was only for a few days, was going to do it anyway. That I’d never recover from this.
“So… do you want me all over you, or…?”
My stomach swooped the same way it had when I’d kissed him. I looked back up at the ceiling—whatever I answered, I couldn’t look him in the eyes while I did it.
On the one hand, that was a terrible idea. I wasn’t much of an actor and I couldn’t see how I could pretend not to love it if Simonwasall over me.
On the other hand…
“Would that be okay?”
“I don’t mind,” Simon said.
Of course he didn’t. He would’ve done anything for me.
I tried not to take advantage of that. I tried to be careful with Simon, because I knew he was too nice, I knew he couldn’t do enough for other people, and especially for me.
But I wasn’t perfect. I was selfish, and I’d missed Simon recently, and when was Ievergoing to get another chance at this?
“It’d sell the idea better,” Simon spoke up again. “Y’know. I mean, they don’t know me well enough to know whether I’d normally be like that, but it’d be easier to believe. Ifyoudon’t mind it?”
Fuck.
Well. If he was the one suggesting it, how wrong could it be?
“I’m okay with it.” I swallowed. “I mean, I’m the one who got us into this. I should be thanking you on my knees for playing along this far. This is too much to ask of you.”
Simon barked a laugh. “What else are friends for? I’m here to make this wedding suck less for you. Besides, the look on your mom’s face was priceless. If I can spend the next few days making her look like that regularly, I’ll thankyou.”
He was too good for me.