Chapter 13: Congratulations.

Skye

Jace is not wearing the football jersey anymore. Instead, he has on a plain black T-shirt that clings to his broad shoulders, his damp hair pushed back as though he’d just showered.

The setting sun cast long shadows across the empty stadium, making his gray eyes look almost silver.

These things never affected me before. I've known Jace since forever and I never noticed how breathtaking he is.

What the hell is wrong with me?

I shake my head, refusing to succumb to this stupidity.

Jace looks at me without surprise. “I knew you would come.”

The confidence in his voice immediately irritates me. “You are so full of yourself.”

The corner of his mouth twitches, “Thanks for the compliment.”

I fold my arms, “I haven't even agreed.”

“No? Then why are you here? Miss me?”

My nose wrinkles in disgust, I would rather jump off the bridge. I open my mouth to say something. Nothing comes out. Yet his question hangs in the air. Why am I here?

After several awkward seconds, I let out a frustrated sigh, “Fine, I will do it.”

His expression doesn't change, “I know.”

“Oh, would you stop saying that?”

He smiles, I look away for a moment, when I look back at him, our eyes lock. Nobody speaks.

I shift from one foot to another, “So, this is fake.” I point a finger at him, “completely fake. We are not dating. If we are going to do this. We need to have rules.”

He nods once, “Go ahead.”

“No kissing. No sleeping in the same room. I'm only doing this because I have no choice.”

His eyebrow rises, “You don't need to worry about that, I wasn't even planning to, the last thing I want is another mistake I will have to deal with later.” The moment the words leave his mouth, his expression changes.

Too late. A sharp pain explodes across my chest. I grip the hem of my top without meaning to. Mistake. Right. That’s what that night is to him. A mistake. Something he wishes had never happened.

I lower my eyes before he can notice the sting in them.

It shouldn't matter that he said them out loud. I don't even like him. So why does it hurt so much?

Jace studies me for a moment, “I didn't mean it like that.”

“It’s fine.” I say quietly and continue, “No holding hands.”

He considers it, “That one won't work.”

“What?”

“We are supposed to be convincing.”

“I don't care.”

“I do.”

“It’s fake.”

His brow rises so imperceptibly, “So?”

“So fake couples don’t have to hold hands,” I say sharply.

“They do if they don’t want people asking questions.”

I open my mouth. Close it again. He’s annoyingly right. “I still don’t like it.”

“You don’t have to.”

I glare at him. “I hate when you’re right.”

“You hate me in general.”

“…True.”

Something unreadable flickers across his face before disappearing. “What else?”

“No surprise visits to my dorm. No texting me twenty-four hours a day.”

“I wasn’t planning to.”

“No calling me baby.”

His mouth actually curves. “I wasn’t planning on that either.”

“No touching me without asking.”

His eyes meet mine. “Fine.” For the first time since we started talking, his answer comes without argument. I don’t know why that surprises me.

I hesitate. “One more thing.”

“What?”

“When all of this is over…” I swallow. “We go back to normal.”

Something changes in his eyes. Not much. Just enough for me to notice. “You mean…”

“You go back to hating me.” The words leave my mouth before I can stop them.

He looks at me for a long second. Then he gives a quiet nod. “If that’s what you want.”

The answer should make me happy.

Instead…My chest feels strangely heavy. Why? This is exactly what I wanted. To get through this. To survive the rumors. Then go back to my normal life.

Jace reaches into his pocket and pulls out his phone. “I’ll update the post.”

I blink. “What?”

“So everyone knows this isn’t just something I announced.”

My stomach tightens.

He steps beside me and wraps his arm around my shoulders. The camera clicks before I realize what’s happening.

I jerk away from him so fast I almost lose my footing, “What the hell was that?”

A strange look crosses his eyes, he steps closer again, “You really hate me don't you?”

Why is he asking that kind of question? “Yes, so the fact that I'm agreeing to be your fake girlfriend is the last thing I ever wanted.”

“You really do flatter yourself Skye Bennett. I'm doing this to help. Getting a real girlfriend is not my problem. I can get any girl I want.” Then he glances down at me, his expression unreadable, “You made your choice Skye, now you need to live with it.”

He opens the student forum on his phone, Types for a few seconds. Then turns the screen toward me.

The picture he takes stays on the screen, with a caption attached to it:

“Since everyone seems so interested in my personal life… yes. Skye Bennett is my girlfriend. Respect her the same way you respect me.”

His thumb hovers above the post button, He looks at me. “Last chance, you still have the right to change your mind, If I post this, there’s no taking it back.”

The stadium suddenly feels impossibly quiet. I stare at the screen. One tap. One tap, and the entire school will believe we’re together.

One tap, and my already complicated life will become even more complicated.

I close my eyes. Ethan’s face flashes through my mind. Then Tiffany’s slap. The laughter. The whispers. The humiliation.

I slowly open my eyes again. “Do it.”

Jace studies me for another second. Then, He taps the post button.

His phone vibrates almost instantly. One notification. Then another. Then ten more. Within seconds, the comments begin pouring in.

He locks the screen and slides the phone back into his pocket. “It’s done.”

I let out a breath I didn’t realize I’d been holding. My life has officially changed. Again.

Jace steps closer—not close enough to invade my space this time, but close enough that I can hear the quiet certainty in his voice.

“Congratulations, Princess, As of this moment…” A faint smile touches his lips. “You’re officially my fake girlfriend.”

And why the hell does that make me want to burst into tears?