Chapter 5

Lila POV

"Ryan, stop! You're hurting me!" I cried out as he dragged me through the hallway.

But he did not stop. He did not slow down. He did not even look back at me.

I could hear Cassandra's voice behind us, calling his name over and over. "Ryan! Baby, where are you going? Ryan, wait for me!"

He ignored her completely. It was like she did not exist.

Students jumped out of our way as Ryan pulled me along. Their eyes were wide with shock, their mouths open with curiosity. This was not normal. Ryan never talked to me at school, and he certainly never touched me like this.

We reached the stairs, and Ryan kept moving. He dragged me down the first flight, then stopped suddenly at the corner where no one could see us. The space was small and dark, hidden from the main hallway.

He released my wrist and stood there, breathing hard. His chest was rising and falling like he had just run a marathon. His eyes were burning with an emotion I had never seen before.

Anger. Pure, raw anger.

"Ryan, what is wrong with you?" I asked, rubbing my wrist where his fingers had gripped too tight.

"What is wrong with me?" he repeated, his voice getting louder. "What is wrong with you, Lila?"

I took a step back. Ryan had never yelled at me before. Never.

"I do not understand," I whispered.

"You do not understand?" Ryan laughed, but it was not a happy sound. It was bitter and cold. "Let me explain it to you then. Last night, I lost the biggest game of my life. My dreams died on that ice because of Derek Stone. And today, I find out that my own sister is dating him?"

The word "sister" felt like a knife in my heart. That was all I would ever be to him. Just his sister.

"Ryan, it is not like that," I started to say.

"Then what is it like?" he demanded, stepping closer to me. "Because from where I was standing, it looked exactly like that. You were kissing him, Lila. In the middle of the school hallway. Where everyone could see you."

My face burned with shame. The kiss had been Derek's idea. Part of the act. Part of the deal. But I could not tell Ryan any of that.

"He is my boyfriend," I said quietly, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth.

"Your boyfriend?" Ryan's voice cracked on the word. "Since when? Yesterday you hated him. You told me a hundred times that he was arrogant and mean. You said you would never speak to him. And now he is your boyfriend?"

I stayed silent because I did not know what to say. Everything was so complicated. Derek had my secrets. Cassandra had my past. And Ryan had my heart without even knowing it.

"You know what this looks like, right?" Ryan continued, his voice getting angrier. "It looks like you waited until I lost. It looks like you waited until Derek destroyed my career, and then you ran straight into his arms. Like you were celebrating my failure."

"No!" I cried out, tears burning my eyes. "I would never do that to you! You have to believe me!"

"Then explain it to me!" Ryan shouted. "Because right now, Lila, I feel like you stabbed me in the back. Right after my worst moment, you go and kiss my biggest enemy. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

His words hit me like punches. I had never thought about it that way. I had been so focused on keeping my secrets safe that I had not considered how this would look to Ryan.

"I did not betray you," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"It sure feels like you did," Ryan said coldly.

The pain in his eyes was breaking my heart into a million pieces. He looked hurt, confused, and angry all at the same time. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to explain that this was all fake, that I did not want to be with Derek, that the only person I wanted was him.

But I could not.

"Ryan, please listen to me," I begged. "Derek and I—"

"Derek and you what?" Ryan interrupted. "Are in love? Going to get married? Have babies together?"

"No! It is not—"

"Not what? Not serious? Because that kiss looked pretty serious to me."

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. I had to say something. I had to make him understand without revealing the truth.

"I did not betray you," I said again, more firmly this time. "The timing was just bad. I did not plan for any of this to happen."

Ryan stared at me with those beautiful eyes that had haunted my dreams for three years. "You could have anyone, Lila. Anyone in this entire school. Why him? Why the one person who destroyed everything I worked for?"

Because he is blackmailing me, I wanted to scream. Because he has my secrets and I have no choice.

But the words stayed trapped in my throat.

"I cannot explain it," I said finally. "I just—"

The sound of high heels clicking on the stairs cut me off. My heart dropped into my stomach as I recognized that sound.

Cassandra appeared at the top of the stairs, her blonde hair perfect, her smile sweet as poison.

"There you are, baby!" she called out to Ryan. "I have been looking everywhere for you!"

She started walking down the stairs toward us, and I felt my whole body go tense.

No. Not now. Not here.

"Ryan," I said quickly, desperately trying to finish what I was saying. "I did not betray—"

But Cassandra had already reached us, and she wrapped her arms around Ryan like he belonged to her.

And maybe he did.