Chapter 5

VIOLETTA

I couldn’t move, even though Cassian had already disappeared back inside his house as though he hadn’t just kissed me.

My fingers slowly drifted to my lips.

He actually kissed me.

I hated that the first person I thought about was Logan. In two years of dating, not a single kiss we’d shared had made my heart race the way that one had.

The rapid clicking of cameras finally pulled me back to reality.

“Oh my God…”

I looked around in horror.

And I sighted very familiar faces, almost immediately I could feel my phone buzzing.

From Campus photographers to campus bloggers and even some coursemates of mine… this was insane. Three people were literally standing on a bench just to get a better angle.

College journalism students were insane and that was coming from a journalism student.

“VIOLETTA!”

An Uber screeched to a stop in front of the house, and the passenger door flew open.

For a second, it felt like I was in a movie. What the hell was happening?

Ollie leaned so far across, practically hanging out of the window.

“GET. IN.”

I didn’t argue.

The second I slammed the door shut, the Uber sped away.

Silence.

Five seconds passed and still nothing, Ollie didn’t even look at me.

I knew I owed him an apology but I just didn’t know where to begin.

A full minute went by before he suddenly exploded, “What in the actual HELL was THAT?!”

I flinched.

“I…”

“You were trending LAST NIGHT because of Logan… I had called and waited for you all night and now you’re trending because Cassian freaking Alexandris kissed you!”

Oops.

“I should apologize for last night…”

He shoved his phone into my face cutting me short and as I scrolled through his page, the caption was no longer desperate ex but rather.

CASSIAN ALEXANDRIS SPOTTED KISSING JOURNALISM MAJOR VIOLETTA MONROE FOR THE SECOND TIME SINCE LAST NIGHT.

REVENGE? REBOUND? OR THE CAMPUS’ NEW POWER COUPLE?

I scrolled through the comments. Most of them had completely bought the story while a smaller fraction still insisted I was a slut who jumped from one hockey player to another.

My stomach twisted.

I wasn’t sure I liked this anymore. This literally meant I was now stuck with that arrogant captain and have to slutshamers until the internet found another scandal to obsess over.

“It gets worse.”

I scrolled again, searching for what could be worse than that.

“Not that, check my messages… Logan has called you twenty-three times and I’m pretty sure you have seen my calls and Logan’s too else you weren’t busy smooching yet another hockey player at the night of your televised breakup.”

I turned my phone back on and almost immediately, the messages started entering.

[Logan: Pick up.]

[Logan: Violetta, what the fuck is going on?]

[Logan: Answer your fucking phone.]

[Logan: We need to talk.]

As I was reading through, his call came through and I wasted no time declining it.

Then another, I declined that one too before switching my phone off completely, “I don’t think I can do this.”

Ollie finally glanced at me, “Do what?”

I leaned back against the seat and told him everything. From kissing Cassian last night to waking up in his house and then overhearing the argument…

As I mentioned suggesting the fake relationship, his eyes widened before he let out a scream, “You WHAT?!”

I winced.

“Aren’t you angry with me?” I asked and his shoulders relaxed.

“I was just worried about you and maybe… I overreacted a little… it’s kind of my fault that it blew out of proportion.”

He continued, “You don’t have to apologize and I won’t rub it in your face that I was right about Logan being the son of a…”

“Ollie.” I threw my arms around him before he could finish. “I’m still sorry.”

He laughed, hugging me back.

“I know but girl… that man was staring holes through you back at the rink.” Then he pulled away with a grin.

“What?”

“Cassian, I’m not even surprised he kissed you.” He wiggled his eyebrows.

I groaned as I remembered something.

“I threw up…twice.”

As though the driver was also listening, he slammed on the brakes so hard I lurched forward. The driver behind us leaned on his horn before speeding past while shouting several insults.

“You WHAT? And even before the kiss?” He screeched before he burst into uncontrollable laughter.

“You kissed Cassian Alexandris with vomit mouth?”

“Oh my God.” I buried my face in my hands, “Please stop saying vomit mouth.”

“CASSIAN ALEXANDRIS RISKED IT FOR VOMIT MOUTH!”

“OLLIE!”

“This fake boyfriend of yours has done more than your boyfriend has done in two years… in less than twelve hours he had fought a man and carried you home without touching you…”

“OLLIE!”

“And then he kissed your fucking VOMIT MOUTH!”

“I hate you.”

He burst into uncontrollable laughter, “I can’t breathe!”

I groaned and slid lower into my seat, “I genuinely cannot believe this is my life.”

He wiped tears from his eyes.

“I am never letting you live this down.”

The rest of the drive was filled with our usual bickering, and by the time we got home, my headache had eased up.

Our apartment wasn’t anything special or big. It was three bedrooms, a tiny living room and one kitchen shared by Ollie, me…

“There she is! the trending hockey girlfriend.”

…and Brielle Dawson, a cheerleader and the typical type of sportsman.

In the short while we had stayed together, she had barely spared me a second but here she was acting as though we were close friends.

“So…” she continued sweetly. “Did you really spend the night at Cassian Alexandris’ apartment?”

I wasn’t in the mood for this fake small chat.

“Common spill the tea, what happened with Logan?”

She didn’t care that I wasn’t answered, she just continued, “Are you dating? I mean it’s crazy yesterday he acted as though you were crazy and now Cassian clearly claimed you…Is Cassian a good kisser? The girl has been saying he…”

I walked straight past her.

Ollie snorted as he followed suit, “This is very low even for you Brielle.”

She folded her arms, “I’m just curious… you don’t have to be so mean.”

Mean?

We chuckled as we both disappeared into my room before she could ask another question.

I had an assignment due in less than an hour.

My love life or whatever disaster it had become could wait.

Unfortunately… It was foolish of me to ask Ollie not to come along thinking I could walk down this hallway without attracting curious eyes and wagging tongues.

Whispers followed me the whole day.

“That’s her.”

“The delusional girl?”

“No…”

“I heard someone say she is dating Cassian… she kissed him yesterday and he kissed her today… that’s his Hackett on her…”

“Do you think they’re actually dating?”

“I heard she cheated on Logan.”

“I heard Logan cheated first.”

“I heard… ”

I kept walking, tuning away their gossip.

Normally, I was the one asking the questions and chasing juicy stories but today I was the trend.

After my classes, I hurried toward the exit… back there I wouldn’t be able to grab as much attention as the front would.

I just wanted to go home.

A hand suddenly grabbed my wrist.

I spun around to meet Logan’s raging eyes.

Before I could react, he pulled me into an empty classroom and shut the door.

I yanked my hand free.

“What do you want?”

He froze, taken aback. “I’ve been calling and you weren’t answering.”

I didn’t say a word to him and he continued, “I even sent you countless texts after this whole thing has been blown out of proportion.”

I folded my arms.

“What do you want, Logan?”

He raked a hand through his hair, “What is this thing you are doing with Cassain… you know that guy is a violent prick and you even went home with him…”

I stared blankly at him.

“Yesterday the media, NHL scouts and sponsors were there… I was thinking of my future.”

Was this his idea of an apology?

“I care about you as my friend Vee and I think this is a mista…”

His eyes dropped to the oversized black jacket hanging off my shoulders and he strained off as his expression darkened.

“You’re wearing his jacket.”

I looked down, “I hadn’t noticed.” J replied sarcastically.

“Take it off.”

What was this madness?

“No.”

Before he could say another word… the classroom door opened and I breathed a sigh of relief as Cassian walked in.

His gaze landed on Logan first and then me before trailing down to see Logan reaching toward me with.

He crossed the room in seconds before slipping an arm comfortably around my waist and pulling me against his side.

“I don’t think hanging around my girlfriend is a good idea.”

Logan glared at him, suddenly speechless.

Cassian’s mouth twitched, “I mean… you’ve got a fiancée and it would be a shame if people saw this… we wouldn’t want them to get the wrong idea.”