Chapter Eight

Faith

She couldn’t believe it—he was smiling at her. She didn’t think Kyle ever smiled—not that she’d heard of, anyway. It seemed like she wasn’t the only one with a beef against Cameron. How lucky could she get? She’d thought he’d laugh at her, brush her off as one of those popular girls not worth his time.

But she wasn’t that popular, and he definitely seemed to have time for a little revenge.

Hope—an angry, hard, shining thing—crashed around her chest. “Okay, so you have a…a…”

“Reputation?” Kyle said, his smile going to full-on grin. It was a little scary. “Like maybe I steal walkers from old ladies at the supermarket and use them to break church windows?”

Faith laughed—she couldn’t help it. She also couldn’t help staring at those blue, blue eyes of his. Goodness. “Yeah, something like that. But it’s more that I’ve heard you’ve been with lots of girls. Older girls, mostly.”

His grin faded. “Yeah, so?”

“Well, what if everyone thought we were hooking up? You and me?” God, he was going to start laughing at her any second. She was in too deep to stop now, though. “Everyone would totally know Cameron’s wrong. About me being frosty, if you know what I mean. If I’m dating a notorious bad boy, then they’ll think I’m having the hottest sex of my life and that I don’t give a damn about Cameron.”

“And why would they think you’re having the hottest sex of your life?” He sounded hesitant and amused. Not the best combination, but at least he wasn’t blowing her off.

“Because you’ll say so. You’ll drop that information into circulation and let it run its course.”

“So, you want me to pretend to be your boyfriend,” he said, scratching his head. “And start a rumor that we’re having scorching sex as often as possible?”

“Yes,” she said. “I know it’s a weird request, but he’s out telling everyone that I’m…I’m…”

“A sexual glacier. You’ve said that already,” Kyle said. “Are you? Or was it just Cameron?”

“No! I mean, yes. I mean…Jesus, why would you ask me that?”

His eyes were shining, totally teasing her. “It seems relevant.”

Oh God. No wonder he had college girls all over him—that playful little smirk would work on a nun. This was such a bad idea, but his smile made her brain misfire, so her mouth went on without its assistance. “I just…I don’t want to be with someone unless I love them, you know?”

Oh, why did I tell him that? Why? He’s going to die laughing.

But he didn’t. Instead, he shrugged, stowing the player and morphing back into the standoffish bad boy. “And you don’t love Cameron?”

What was with this guy and his questions? “I thought I did,” she said. “But I didn’t. And he didn’t love me. I don’t think he even cared about me that much.”

Kyle was quiet a moment, another one of those little smirks tugging at the corner of his mouth. She couldn’t get a good read on him, but a bead of sweat ran down his chest and she had to force her eyes to meet his. Even under all that dirt, he was hotter than a July afternoon. Was this a good idea? Kyle was dangerous. He was trouble.

Except… She studied him. Kyle looked anything but trouble right now, in dirty shorts with a stripe of mud across his forehead. He looked normal, like someone she could trust. Maybe even…nice.

And why the hell couldn’t she keep her eyes on his face? Who cared if he was built like the statue of David? Then her eyes drifted to his arms. He played baseball, she remembered, and worked outside. From those muscles, she bet he could carry her and a load of firewood at the same time. Cameron had been more stringy—a running back, lean and quick. Kyle was lean, but packed with muscle. What would it be like to run a hand over those biceps?

Damn it. Focus.

Finally, he said, “Cameron and his friends treated me like shit in middle school, and he still treats some friends of mine that way. But I especially don’t like assholes who treat girls badly. For all my…faults, I like girls.” His smirk turned into a secretive smile. “Guys like Cameron should get hit on the nose every once in a while, just for existing and making people miserable.”

She let out the breath she was holding. “Does that mean you’ll do it?”

“Sure, why not?” he said. “I don’t know why you’d pick me for this experiment, but I’m not seeing anyone right now, so I’m in. Anything to make Cameron look like an idiot.”

Faith couldn’t believe it. Could. Not. Believe. It. He was really going to do this. “Thank you! So…if we’re really going to do this, we’ll need to be seen together some. Both at school and other places. Is that okay?”

“Fine by me.” He looked around her backyard. “And I’m going to be over here a lot, working. If you invite me inside when your parents aren’t here, and you have nosy neighbors, that could get stories started.” He paused. “Are you sure you really want to do this? I mean, no big deal to me, but are you sure you want to, uh, tarnish your reputation by hanging out with me?”

Determination welled up inside her. “Yes. As long as my parents don’t get sucked in—they’re pretty protective—I’m totally fine with this.”

“Okay, then.” He blew out a breath. “I better get back to work. We can talk more tomorrow.”

She had to force herself to be still and not dance around the yard in triumph. “Tomorrow it is. And Kyle? Thank you. This is going to be the best trick ever pulled at Suttonville High.”

As she drifted inside, she thought she heard him say, “If you say so, princess.”