Chapter 4: Fake love, real clauses

Hazel's POV

I didn’t know what burned more, my cheeks from the kiss, or the fact that half the school had just seen it.

The second the locker room door slammed shut behind us, I yanked my arm out of Jaxon’s grip.

“I don't mean to sound ungrateful but what the hell was that?” I snapped with a shaky breath

He leaned against a row of lockers like nothing serious had just happened. “You’re welcome.”

I should’ve been furious but all I could think about was the way my heart had stuttered when his lips brushed mine.

I blinked at him, stunned. “You told them we’re dating!”

He raised an eyebrow, annoyingly calm. “And?”

“And?” I repeated, stepping toward him. 

“Pretending to be boyfriend and girlfriend wasn't part of the deal!”

He shrugged. “Would you rather everyone believe your little love story was about your stepbrother?”

My stomach twisted.

“Didn’t think so,” he said, his voice quieter now.

I turned away, pacing a few steps, trying to think, trying not to freak out, my sneakers squeaking against the tile.

“You kissed me. In front of everyone.” I muttered.

My skin still tingled from where his lips touched mine. I hated that my heart skipped, hated it more that my brain couldn’t stop replaying it. Everyone saw it, Trey saw it.

“I didn’t see you stopping me,” he said. 

“You froze. Tiffany was about to shred you apart, and Trey looked like he wanted to crawl out of his skin. I did what I had to.”

I glared at him. “So now what? Everyone thinks we are actually together. How am I supposed to explain that?”

“You don’t.” He shrugged 

“If you’ve got a better plan to make this all blow over, I’m all ears.”

I opened my mouth, then closed it.

Exactly.

He smirked like he knew I had nothing.

“You’re impossible,” I muttered.

“But effective,” he said, straightening up, walking closer. “No one’s talking about your crush anymore. They’re talking about us.”

I hated that he wasn’t wrong.

And I hated that somewhere, beneath the panic and humiliation, a tiny part of me wasn’t completely dreading it.

“So you need a fake boyfriend to hide your secret crush on your step-brother and I..”

I cut him off “You need me to write about how well-endowed you are. I got it” 

"Or maybe," he said, eyes locking on mine with an unexpected seriousness, "I’ve liked you for a while now and I just wanted to do this to spend more time with you.”

“We both hate each other, good luck on convincing everyone that this is real.” I gasped 

“Watch me make this relationship the best on campus, baby. I am a very persuasive person and if you want my best work, the prize is going to go up.”

I rolled my eyes “So what else do you want?”

He leaned back lazily. “What I need is... tutoring.”

My brows knit. “Tutoring?”

“I’m failing Literature, like badly. If I bomb this midterm, coach will bench me and that means no games, no scouts, no NHL.”

I blinked. “You want help… with Shakespeare?”

“No,” he said dryly. “I need to pass the midterm paper on modern narratives.”

“So you want me to do your assignment?”

“I want you to write it,” he corrected, flashing a lazy grin. “You’re the only one that got an A+ in Literature last semester?”

I reeled back. “Absolutely not! That’s cheating.”

What kind of idiot agrees to a fake relationship and academic cheating at once? Apparently, this idiot.

“Hazel…”

“I’m serious. I help you study? Fine. But I’m not writing your paper.”

“All right, you can forget about the deal.”

“Fine.” I turned around to start leaving when he continued 

“If you don't mind me telling everyone that your little fantasy story was about your stepbrother.”

I stopped in my track. I still remember in highschool when Tiffany would cook up fake rumors about me and spread it, I skipped classes for a week hiding in the library. If something this juicy got out, I’d be a viral meme before tomorrow morning.

“What if I am caught cheating?”

“There is no getting caught here. You are too smart for that.”

“Fine!” I hissed through gritted teeth, turning back to him. “I will pretend to be your fake girlfriend and write your paper but there will be rules.” 

He smirked, triumphant. “Oh, I love rules.”

I yanked my notebook out of my backpack and stomped back over to the bench, flipping to a clean page. He sat, cocky as ever, watching me scribble like it was some sort of entertainment for him

“Rule one,” I said without looking up. “No sudden kisses.”

“That’s impossible,” he said immediately.

I glared at him. “Excuse me?”

“If we are going to be in a fake relationship, We are going to kiss a lot” he said licking his lips

“Gross..”

“I thought you really liked our first kiss.” He winked at me

I know I should have walked away now that it's not too late because there was like having a deal with the devil.Every bone in my body screamed at it. But then I imagined the look on Trey’s face if he found out. I also imagined Tiffany’s laugh echoing through the hallway. No, I’d rather fake a thousand kisses than give them that satisfaction.

“Alright, I can reluctantly accept that.. but just to be clear, I did not enjoy the kiss.”

He smirked. “So you are mentally preparing now?”

I jabbed my pen at him. “Don’t push me.”

I went back to writing “Rule one again, absolutely no sex.”

He held up both hands. “Noted.”

“Rule two,” I continued. “No feelings. This is strictly business. No falling for each other.”

He leaned back against the lockers, one arm stretched out behind the bench. “Please. Did you actually think I’d fall for you?”

I didn’t answer that. My throat dried, not that I expected that he would fall for him but hearing from him hurt a little.

“Rule three.” I continued suddenly “We never talk about this agreement to anyone, not your teammates, not even your dumb hockey groupies. No exceptions.”

His brow lifted. “You think I have groupies?”

I gave him a look.

“Okay, maybe I do,” he admitted, unbothered.

“And rule four,” I said, writing in big, underlined letters, “This fake relationship ends in one month. After homecoming, it’s over. That gives us just enough time for all this to blow over.”

“Deal,” he said, surprisingly quick.

“But I have my terms too.”

“Of course you do,” I muttered.

He stood and walked over to where I was sitting. Instead of standing in front of me like a normal person, he sat beside me on the bench, right beside me. His thigh pressed against mine.

I scooted an inch away.

He scooted an inch closer.

I shot him a glare.

He grinned, perfectly pleased with himself. “Rule One, you come to every one of my games during this month and you cheer for me. Loudly.”

I groaned. “Fine.”

“Two,” he continued. “You come to every party with me. Including homecoming.”

I hesitated. “I’m not really a party person…”

“Not optional,” he said with a wink. “You’re my fake girlfriend, remember?”

I didn’t like the way that word “girlfriend” sounded in his mouth.

“And lastly,” he said, facing me now, “We are throwing a party tomorrow night to celebrate my MVP win.”

I raised an eyebrow. “You want me to come with you?”

“I want you on my arm,” he corrected, already walking toward the exit. “Oh, and Hazel…”

“What now?”

He turned his head just enough to flash me a wicked smile. “Wear a swimsuit.”

I slumped dramatically onto the locker like my life was ending in slow motion. “You’re joking”

“And make it sexy.” I could see his smirk even if he was backing me now as the door swung shut behin

d him.

I was left staring at my notebook full of rules, wondering if I’d just made the worst decision of my life or the most dangerous one.

Either way, there was no turning back now.