Sɪᴄᴋ⁻⁻Jsᴄʜʟᴀᴛᴛ//Fᴇᴍ ʀᴇᴀᴅᴇʀ

ᴄʜᴀᴘᴛᴇʀ 27

"This is good," Schlatt nods to a few steps leading up to a fancy fountain. I walk over and sit down, holding my purse to flip my hair over the shoulder and smile for the camera. Before I can do that, I hear the shutter on Schlatt's camera as he shoves the phone back into his pocket.

"I wasn't even ready," I remarked. "I was trying to fix my hair."

"Eh." Schlatt pushed up his sleeves. "It's candid or whatever the Pinterest Girlies like." 

I snort at Schlatt saying Pinterest Girlies and brush off any residue from my dress. "You should send that to me so I can post it later."

"Yeah, of course." Schlatt shoved his hands in his pocket and exhaled. 

"Are you okay?" I look up. His eyebrows are furrowed and his jaw is clenched.

"I've never posted a girl before." He said sheepishly. "God, all my friends will make fun of me."

"Boo fucking hoo." I pout and pretend to care. He's the one who suggested this after all. "Is that the only picture you wanted to take?"

"Yeah. It looks fine." Schlatt pulls his phone out of his pocket and shows me the photo. It's kind of blurry but in an artsy way. 

"Hard launch for the win." I shake my fist in the air. "You're going on my feed."

"Ah, you haven't reached that status yet." Schlatt turned off his phone and slipped it back into his pocket. I caught a glimpse of Ted messaging him with WHAT or OH MY GOD. He probably found out about our 'fake dating' situation. 

"Babe, you're breaking my heart." I put a hand on my chest. "You don't love me anymore?"

Schlatt rolls his eyes and starts to walk to the restaurant. I catch up with him my sandal heels clicking against the concrete. I should've worn better walking shoes, my feet already hurt. Damn you Macy's clearance shoes. 

"No hand-holding?" I extend for Schlatt to take it and grin playfully. His cheeks flush pink and he pushes my shoulder.

"You're liking this more than you should. Do I have to remind you that this is fake?"

"Me?" I chuckle. "I was this close to dropping you forever." I make my index finger and thumb touch. 

"Were you darling?" Schlatt leans in and raises an eyebrow. With any other guy, darling would be gross and cringe. I don't know what it is about that New York accent, but a word that has never sounded so good came out of his mouth. "You'd drop all of this 6"3 goodness?"

"Ew," I chuckle and walk a bit ahead of him. "You're embarrassing me."

"You don't even know which way we're going!" Schlatt calls out from behind me and I start to jog a bit to give ourselves some distance. I glance over my shoulder to ensure Schlatt is behind me and hasn't left me stranded. 

"Oh my god!" Schlatt groaned. "Get back here! I look like a loser walking all by myself." He conceded. My stomach erupts with butterflies. I let the biggest smile invade my face, eye wrinkles and all, and thank God that Schlatt is behind me. He can't know he has this effect on me. 

I stop and wait for him to catch up to me. The back of our hands brush for a moment and I swallow. When I peer down at Schlatt's hand, he's flexing it open and closing his fist until his knuckles are white. 

"You're doing the Mr. Darcy hand thing." I point out. 

"The what?" murmured. 

"The hand thing." I flex and unflex my hand. "From Pride and Prejudice?"

"I don't know what that movie is."

I stop walking and stare at him. "You've never seen Pride and Prejudice?"