Heartbreakers and Fakers

 

          NOW

It takes me a second to realize I m not in Jor­­dan s bed.

My head is pounding a throbbing ache at my temples and before I pry open my eyes, I m struck by how bright the light is on the other side of my lids. I reach a hand out, expecting to feel Jordan s warmth beside me, envisioning his smile, the crooked tooth that only makes him cuter. I ve been waiting half my life to wake up next to Jordan Parker.

Instead, my hand touches what feels like grass, wet with morning dew. That s when I open my eyes. Because I m not in bed at all. I m on a lawn chair in Jordan s yard.

I scramble to sit up, and as I do, a wave of nausea rolls through me, my stomach twisting. I m not sure whether it s from the alcohol still coursing through my system, seeping out my pores like sweat, or whether it s from the knowledge that Jordan and I did not sleep together last night, in any sense of the term. That somehow I ended up on this chair and I can t exactly remember how I got here.

I stumble to my feet, noticing then that my shoes are missing, the hot pink high-tops Olivia and I bought together last week. We d wanted to match. When you match with somebody, it proves to the rest of the world you re important; you re part of something. And everyone wants to be part of Olivia.

Now both of my shoes are gone, one foot totally bare, the other covered in a slimy wet sock. My knees are bruised, but I don t remember falling. Actually, I don t remember much of anything. Dinner with Olivia and Katie at the place downtown with the endless breadsticks and the waiter that never cards; piña coladas and margaritas and daiquiris, because the best drinks are the kind you can take pictures with, that make it look like you re on vacation and make everyone else on Instagram jealous.

Cameron Lund is a young adult author, singer/songwriter, and pizza enthusiast. Originally from the middle of the New Hampshire woods, she moved to the beach to study film at the University of California, Santa Barbara, and has stayed out west ever since. Her love of travel has taken her to more than twenty-five countries--there's nothing she loves more than writing while on an adventure somewhere, preferably with a view of a waterfall. Cameron is also the author of The Best Laid Plans. Find her on Twitter and Instagram @camloond.

In this fresh rom-com Penny s character growth is clear and sympathetic, as she goes from self-obsessed popular girl to a young woman who explores her emotions and desires in the age of social-media romance, cyberbullying, and gossip chains.   Booklist

A lighthearted and perceptive fauxmance.   Kirkus Reviews

A happily-ever-after, incorporating angst and twists along the way. SLJ

Come for the fake dating, stay for the fraught feelings and an ending that will make your heart soar.   Jennifer Iacopelli, Author of Break The Fall

Messy, honest, and fun, Lund s latest is a read-in-one-sitting tropey romp that I never wanted to end.   Jennifer Dugan, Author of Hot Dog Girl

An honest, funny, and fresh take on fake dating! Heartbreakers and Fakers has sparkling banter, swoony romance, and complicated teenagers that feel so real.   Elise Bryant, Author of Happily Ever Afters