More than I bargained for

Paige couldn’t believe what she just saw.

Her mouth was left open for a while.

She tilted her head the other way like she didn’t care.

The whole students were shocked. I guessed the entire school believed our relationship now.

The entire cafeteria was buzzing with whispers.

“Aaron Briggs kissed her!”

“Since when were they dating?”

I could hear all these from the group of students whose eyes were focused on us.

I looked at Aaron, he stayed calm holding my hand like nothing ever happened, his fingers firm around mine like this was normal.

Before I could do anything, Aaron tightened his grip on my hand and we both walked out of the cafeteria.

We walked into an empty class and we shut the door behind us.

I released my hand from his grip, my fingers tingling slightly.

“You kissed me without warning,” I snapped at him, my heart still beating faster than normal.

“Relax,” Aaron said with a shrug.

“We wanted them to believe it right? That was the best way.” He said, leaning on a table.

Aaron stepped closer, lowering his voice.

“You know, you looked really good back there. Everyone staring, the whispers, I didn’t expect to feel this way either.”

Heat rose to my cheeks.

“What way?”

He smirked.

“Like I want to kiss you again.”

My breath hitched slightly.

Before I could answer, he leaned in, just close enough for me to feel the warmth of his lips brushing mine, teasing, making my stomach flip.

Then, without really thinking about it, I kissed him back.

It only lasted a moment.

But it was enough to make Aaron pause.

When we pulled apart, his eyes searched mine, surprised.

“Well,” he said softly, a hint of amusement in his voice, “that wasn’t the reaction I expected.”

My heart was racing, and I immediately stepped back, trying to regain my composure.

“Don’t misunderstand,” I said quickly. “That was just part of the act.”

Aaron raised an eyebrow.

“In an empty classroom?” he asked as he smirked.

I crossed my arms defensively, even though my pulse hadn’t settled.

“Practice.”

For a second he just stared at me.

Then something shifted in his expression.

“Practice?” he repeated quietly.

Before I could say anything else, he stepped closer again.

This time he didn’t rush. His hand moved to the edge of the desk beside me, trapping me between him and the table without actually touching me.

The closeness alone made my breath uneven.

“You’re a terrible liar, Allison,” he murmured.

My heart started beating faster.

“Aaron…”

But he was already leaning in again.

His lips met mine a second time, slower this time, like he was testing how far I would let him go.

For a moment I froze.

Then my fingers curled slightly against the edge of the desk as I kissed him back again.

The kiss lasted longer this time. Long enough for my thoughts to completely disappear.

When we finally pulled apart, Aaron looked at me differently now, less teasing, more curious.

“Still practice?” he asked softly.

My chest rose and fell as I tried to steady my breathing.

“Yes,” I said quickly, even though my voice wasn’t as confident as before.

Aaron let out a quiet chuckle.

“Good,” he said, straightening up.

Then he added with a small smile,

“Because if that was practice, the contest is going to be very interesting.”

Then a slow smile spread across his face.

The type of smile that made him effortlessly charming.

“I’ll take you home,” he said casually.

I frowned slightly. “You don’t have to.”

Aaron glanced at me with a small smile.

“Come on,” he said. “You don’t think I’ll let my girlfriend walk home alone, do you?”

Aaron walked toward the classroom door, opening it before looking back at me.

“So,” he said, tilting his head slightly, “can I give you a ride home or are you planning to keep pretending I don’t exist outside school?”

I sighed and grabbed my bag.

“Fine,” I muttered as I walked past him.

Aaron’s quiet laugh followed behind me as we stepped into the hallway.

His black Mercedes was parked near the front.

Aaron walked ahead and opened the passenger door for me.

I paused.

“You’re really committed to this whole ‘fake boyfriend’ role,” I said.

He leaned casually against the door.

“I told you,” Aaron replied with a small, confident smile.

“If we’re going to do this, we should do it properly.”

Aaron closed the door, walked around, and got back behind the wheel.

The car pulled smoothly back onto the road.

For a moment, silence filled the car, but it didn’t feel as comfortable as before.

Aaron broke the silence, glancing my way.

“You’re awfully quiet today. Did I scare my girlfriend already?”

I gave him a small smirk.

“Scared? Not even close. Just getting used to the idea of being seen with you.”

He laughed quietly. “Good. Because you’re stuck with me for a while.”After a moment, Aaron glanced at me.

Before I could say anything, Aaron’s phone rang.

He glanced at the screen.

The relaxed expression on his face disappeared instantly.

He answered the call.

“Hello?”

A pause.

His grip on the steering wheel tightened.

“What do you mean he’s injured?” he said sharply.

My head turned toward him.

Aaron’s voice dropped lower.

“Where is he now?”

Another pause.

Then he said quietly,

“I’m coming.”

He ended the call.

For the first time since I met him, Aaron didn’t look confident or teasing.

He looked tense.

The air in the car shifted, heavier.

“Aaron?” I asked slowly.

He kept his eyes on the road.

“It’s Ethan,” he said after a moment.

I frowned.

“Who’s Ethan?”

Aaron didn’t answer.

He just pressed harder on the accelerator, the car speeding down the road

.

And suddenly, I had the strange feeling that I had just stepped into something much bigger than a fake relationship.