Frosted (Hate at First Flight #3)

17. Playing Pretend

SONG : GIVE ME A CHANCE - LAY

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It felt like the air had been sucked out like a vacuum as soon as Jace said that he was my boyfriend. The temperature dropped as silence settled into our surroundings.

I was too shocked to say anything. I stared at Jace with a wide-eyed expression as I tried to process what he said and the repercussions of his statement.

Neither Elliott and Chloe said a word too as they exchanged looks with one another several times before the looked at me for an answer.

"Is that true?" Elliott directed the question at me before casting a dirty look at Jace.

I didn't say a word in reply, I couldn't because I had still yet to fully process what had happened.

Of all the things I thought he was planning to do, it never once crossed my mind that Jace would claim to be the boyfriend my two friends expected me to have.

"Phillipa?" Chloe broke my attention away from Jace.

"Yeah?"

"Is it true that you're dating?" Chloe asked with with a look that looked to be a cross between worry and confusion. Her eyes settled on where our two hands were still interlocked.

I bit my lower lip as I tried to pull my hand out of Jace's grasp. Instead of letting go, his fingers tightened around mine.

I leaned over to him and with an edge to my voice, I whispered, "Let go."

Instead of letting go, Jace uses my close proximity and tugs on my hand, throwing me against him before he wrapped a hand around my waist and squeezed with a warning gesture.

Elliott's eyes darkened at how close we were to one another.

"Let her go," he said with a dark voice.

A second passed before Jace chucked lightly. "What's your business?"

"I'm her friend," Elliott replied.

"And I'm her boyfriend," Jace countered.

As he said the last word, I felt anger rise up within me.

How dare he claim to be my boyfriend without first getting my permission? Even if it was a ruse, I felt cheated. How could he disregard the plan of acting like he had nothing to do with me?

I pulled away from him and put a step between us.

"Phillipa," Elliott began.

I held up a finger, stopping him from continuing. "Excuse me for a second," I said, "I need to talk to Jace for a moment."

Before either Chloe or Elliott could protest, I turned to Jace and said with a tone that called for no argument, "Follow me." Then I turned around and walked back to where we were minutes ago.

Once I reached there, I turned around and faced Jace who was just a couple of steps behind.

"What the hell do you think you're doing?" I yelled at him, not even caring at this point whether anyone was nearby or not. Given what he just did, our plans were ruined already.

Jace watched me with an impassive look. "I told you you wouldn't like my plan," he replied.

"And what? You think pretending to be my boyfriend was a great plan?"

Jace shrugged. "You said that you had no other excuse for Chloe and Elliott so I was helping you out."

"How the hell is that helping me out? You just went and complicated everything. Did you forget what Bruce said? You're supposed to have nothing to do with me while we're at school!"I sighed in frustration as I pinned him with a glare.