My grumpy nemesis and I are faking it for the holidays… until I forget it’s fake.

Luke Wilcox is supposed to be my grumpy, broody buffer, just a fake date to help me survive my sister’s wedding and the family chaos that comes with it. In return, I pretend to be his perfect holiday girlfriend, making his parents believe he has his life together.

Simple. No feelings. No complications.

Hanging decorations with him seems easy enough, until I glance down. My legs lock, fear slamming into me. Before I can panic, Luke is there, climbing up behind me, his voice steady as he guides me down rung by rung.

And then he smiles at me. And starts calling me Bubbles— like I’m something bright, untouchable, and fleeting. But I wish he’d hold on instead.

Now, I don’t know what’s riskier, the family drama I thought I was avoiding or the way Luke makes me wish this arrangement didn’t have an expiration date. Because the longer we play pretend, the more I want to believe in us.

Our pasts taught us to expect the worst, but if we can’t learn to trust each other, we’ll be the ones ruining our own chance at happiness.