2.The Deal

By Monday morning, I had already heard three different versions of what happened with Liam Callahan. According to one rumor, he had cheated on someone. According to another, he had been caught leaving a girl's dorm room at three in the morning. The most ridiculous version claimed he'd been secretly dating someone from another university and had gotten caught by half the hockey team. I didn't know which story was true, but I knew one thing for certain: none of them sounded like the Liam I'd grown up with.

 Unfortunately, that didn't stop people from talking.

 I was halfway across the quad when my phone buzzed.

 Liam: Lunch. Twelve thirty.

 I stared at the message.

 Me: Is that an invitation or an order?

 His reply came almost immediately.

 Liam: Both.

 I smiled despite myself.

 Me: Fine. Where?

 Liam: The Maple Room. I'll pick you up.

 I slipped my phone into my pocket, only to nearly walk straight into someone.

"Careful, Parker." I looked up. Of course. Jace Bennett.

He stood in front of me wearing his Dalton hockey hoodie, a backpack hanging loosely from one shoulder. His hair was still damp, probably from morning practice, and that irritatingly confident smile was already waiting for me.

"You again."

"You sound disappointed."

"I am."

"That's hurtful."

"You'll survive."

His grin widened. "Probably."

I tried to walk around him, but he moved in the same direction. I stopped. He stopped. I moved left. He moved left.

"Seriously?"

"Sorry," he said, not sounding sorry at all. "We're having a moment."

"We're having an obstruction."

"Same thing."

I rolled my eyes and finally stepped around him. "I have class."

"So do I."

"Then go."

"I am."

"Then why are you following me?"

He shrugged. "Maybe we're going to the same building."

"We're not."

He laughed. "See you around, Parker."

I kept walking without looking back, but I could hear him laughing behind me. Jace Bennett was going to be a problem. I could already tell.

Liam was waiting outside the Maple Room when I arrived. He had changed out of his practice clothes and was wearing a dark sweater with the sleeves pushed up to his forearms. He smiled the second he saw me.

"There she is."

"You're early."

"You're late."

"By two minutes."

"Still late."

I shook my head as he opened the door for me. "You haven't changed at all."

"Neither have you."

We found a table near the window, ordered lunch, and spent the first few minutes talking about normal things, classes, professors, the game on Saturday, my disastrous attempt to find the library yesterday.

Then Liam's expression changed.

"We need to talk."

I put my fork down. "That never sounds good."

"It isn't terrible."

"That's exactly what people say before telling you something terrible."

He smiled briefly, then leaned back in his chair. "You've heard the rumors."

"Everyone has."

"I need them to stop."

"Okay."

"I have an idea."

I waited. He looked directly at me.

"I want you to pretend to be my girlfriend."

I stared at him. For several seconds, I genuinely wondered if I'd heard him correctly.

"I'm sorry?"

"My fake girlfriend."

"You're asking me to fake-date you?"

"Yes."

"Liam."

"I know how it sounds."

"It sounds insane."

"I know."

I leaned back, crossing my arms. "Why me?"

"Because you're Blair."

"That isn't an explanation."

"You're my best friend. We've known each other forever. People already know we're close, so it won't look completely out of nowhere."

I stared at him. "And this is supposed to fix the rumor?"

"It gives people something else to talk about. If everyone sees me with you, they'll stop obsessing over whoever they think I was with."

I frowned. "What exactly are we trying to prove?"

"That I'm not hiding anything."

"That sounds suspicious."

"It isn't."

"You're sure?"

"I'm sure."

I studied him carefully. Liam wasn't asking because he wanted a girlfriend. He was asking because he needed help, and underneath the confident captain everyone saw was my childhood best friend.

I sighed. "How long?"

"Until things calm down."

"And if they don't?"

"We figure it out."

I picked up my glass and took a sip. "What do I get?"

His mouth twitched. "I knew you'd ask."

"You should know me better."

"I do."

He reached into his bag and pulled out a folded sheet of paper.

I stared at it. "You made a contract?"

"Agreement."

"It's literally titled 'Fake Dating Agreement.'"

"Details."

I laughed as I unfolded it. There were several rules written down.

Rule One: We act like a real couple in public.

I nodded. "Fair."

Rule Two: No suddenly acting like strangers when people are watching.

"Also fair."

Rule Three: We attend important games and university events together.

I looked at him. "So I'm going to become a permanent fixture at the hockey arena?"

"You're already coming to my games."

"True."

"Rule Four," he continued.

I read it.

No unnecessary jealousy.

I laughed. "Why would I be jealous?"

"Exactly."

"Good."

Then I reached the final rule.

Rule Five: No real feelings.

I looked up. Liam was watching me.

"That one seems unnecessary."

"It's important."

"Because it's fake."

"Exactly."

I stared at him for another second before looking back at the paper. "Fine."

I signed my name. Liam signed his. Then he folded the agreement and slipped it back into his bag.

"That's it?"

"That's it."

I held out my hand. He shook it.

"Congratulations," he said. "You're officially my girlfriend."

I smiled. "Fake girlfriend."

"Right."

He grinned. "Fake girlfriend."

The next morning, Liam made sure our new arrangement was impossible to miss. He was waiting outside my dorm when I came downstairs, holding two coffees.

"Good morning."

I took mine. "You're taking this seriously."

"We agreed to make people believe us."

He reached for my hand.

I looked down at our joined fingers. "This feels weird."

"You'll get used to it."

"That's not comforting."

He laughed and pulled me closer as we walked across campus. People noticed. Of course, they did.

Whispers followed us almost immediately. A girl near the student center looked at us twice before whispering something to her friend. Two guys from the hockey team smiled when they passed. Someone even called out, "Finally, Callahan!"

Liam simply smiled and squeezed my hand. I have to admit, he was good at this. Too good.

"Relax," he murmured.

"I am relaxed."

"Your hand is cold."

"Because you're making me nervous."

He looked down at me. "Good nerves?"

I rolled my eyes. "Don't push it."

He laughed. Then his phone rang. His expression changed when he looked at the screen.

"Coach."

"Go."

"I'll make it up to you."

"You'd better."

He kissed my forehead quickly before heading toward the athletic center.

I stood there watching him disappear. And just like that, I was alone.

Or so I thought.

"Your boyfriend abandoned you already?"

I turned. Jace.

I sighed. "Do you just appear whenever he's gone?"

"Maybe."

"You're impossible."

"I've been told."

He fell into step beside me. "Where are you going?"

"Library."

"Perfect."

"Why?"

"I'm going there too."

I looked at him suspiciously. "Are you?"

"No."

I stopped walking.

He laughed. "I'm kidding."

"You're such a jerk."

"And yet you're still talking to me."

I continued walking. Jace followed.

I didn't know why, but somehow he always seemed to show up when Liam was busy. At first, I assumed it was a coincidence. Then it happened again after Liam had another team meeting. And again, after afternoon practice ran late.

Jace would appear, say something annoying, argue with me about something completely pointless, and somehow end up walking beside me.

At the library, he pulled out the chair across from mine.

"You're studying?"

"No, I admire the furniture."

He smiled. "Cute."

I looked up. "What?"

"Nothing."

He opened his laptop.

For the next hour, we actually studied. It surprised me. Jace wasn't as careless as his reputation suggested. He was smart, focused when he wanted to be, and surprisingly good at explaining things when I got stuck.

"You're not what I expected," I admitted.

He looked at me. "Careful."

"Why?"

"You might start liking me."

I laughed. "Don't flatter yourself."

"Too late."

I shook my head, but I was smiling.

My phone buzzed.

Liam: Practice ran late. Sorry. You okay?

I glanced across the table at Jace. He was already watching me.

I typed back.

Me: I'm fine.

Jace raised an eyebrow. "Liam?"

"Yeah."

"He's always busy."

"He's captain."

"I know."

There was something in his voice that made me look up. "What?"

"Nothing."

He closed his laptop. "Come on."

"Where?"

"Coffee."

"Why?"

"Because you've been studying for an hour and look like you're about to fall asleep."

"I don't."

"You do."

I gathered my things. "You're paying."

He smiled. "Deal."

As we walked out of the library together, I couldn't help thinking about the agreement Liam and I had signed. It was supposed to be simple. Pretend to date Liam. Convince everyone it was real. Don't develop feelings.

Easy.

Except somehow, Jace Bennett kept appearing between the lines.