15 - Ground Rules

Ryker's POV

"But you'll pretend to be my boyfriend for as long as I want. No questions asked.”

The words landed somewhere in my chest. A place I didn't want to examine. My pulse quickened. My breath caught. The thought of pretending to be hers, of having an excuse to touch her, to hold her hand, to kiss her in front of everyone.

It excited me more than I was willing to admit.

I didn't know why I kissed her. It was the only thing that came to my mind at that point. The only thing that made sense. The kiss in the hallway, with Harper watching, with the whole world watching. It wasn't planned. It wasn't calculated.

I just wanted to kiss her.

And so I did.

Her lips were warm. Her body was soft against mine. She kissed me back like she meant it, like she'd forgotten we had an audience. I felt her hand press against my chest, felt the rapid beat of her heart through her jacket.

Then I pulled back.

We had a deal.

______________

I picked her up after school like I promised.

She was waiting outside the main entrance, her bag slung over her shoulder, her dark hair loose around her face. She looked different in the afternoon light. Softer. Less guarded.

I pulled up in my car and she got in without a word.

I drove her to her workplace. The restaurant. The one where I'd seen her serving tables that night. She gave me directions quietly, her eyes fixed on the road.

We sat across from each other at a small table in the back. Her shift hadn't started yet. The restaurant was quiet, empty. The afternoon light streamed through the windows.

"If we're going to do this," she said, "there has to be some ground rules."

"What are you, some nerd?"

She ignored me. She unzipped her bag and brought out a piece of paper and a pen. She placed them on the table between us.

I stared at her. She was serious. She had a contract.

"Rule one," she said, writing as she spoke. "You put your best effort into learning. That means showing up on time and actually trying."

"Fine."

"Rule two. You put your best effort into selling our dating story. That means public appearances. Handholding. The works."

I smirked. "That won't be a problem."

She ignored me. "Rule three. No falling in love."

The words hung in the air between us. She wrote them down without looking at me. Her hand was steady.

"That one's easy, for me at least." I said. My voice came out flatter than I intended.

"Rule four. Even after you pass your classes, we stay together until I decide the contract is over."

I leaned back in my chair. "That's not fair."

She looked up at me. Her eyes were hard and cold.

"Nothing in this world is fair."

I studied her face. There was something behind her eyes. A bitterness that didn't match the girl I'd seen at the party. A weight she carried that I didn't understand.

"Fine," I said.

She wrote it down.

I watched her for a moment. The way she held the pen. The way she focused on the paper like it was the most important thing in the room.

"Why are you doing this anyway?" I asked.

She didn't look up. "Doing what?"

"This whole thing. I know you hate Harper. I know she can be a jerk sometimes. But what's your motive?"

She was quiet for a long moment. Her hand paused over the paper.

"Remember, no questions asked but let's just say," she said slowly, "time will tell."

I waited.

"I'm helping someone else finish what they couldn't stay long enough to finish." She finally met my eyes. "That's all I can say for now."

I stared into her eyes. The bitterness was there, sharp and clear. But there was something else too. Something that looked like grief.

"Whatever you're doing," I said, "just don't lose yourself in the process."

I reached across the table and touched her hand. It was a small gesture. Unplanned.

She looked at me. Her eyes softened.

Then she smiled.

It was the first honest interaction we'd had since we met. No performance. No manipulation. Just two people sitting across from each other in an empty restaurant.

It ended as quickly as it started.

She cleared her throat and pulled her hand back.

"Umm. I should get going. My shift is about to start."

I nodded. "I should get going as well." I stood up. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

"What?" She looked up at me. "No. There's no need for that."

"Nova." I leaned against the table, my face close to hers. "Dating 101. Nobody's going to believe we're an item if we don't arrive in the same car hand in hand, grinning from ear to ear."

She blinked. "Oh."

"So." I straightened up. "I'll pick you up at seven?"

She hesitated. Then she nodded.

"Umm. Yeah." She ran a hand through her hair. "I'll umm. I'll text you the address."

"Good."

I walked to the door. I paused with my hand on the handle.

"Hey, Nova?"

She looked up.

"Try not to overthink this. It's just a performance."

She smiled. It was a sad smile, the kind that didn't reach her eyes.

"Performance. Right."

I left before I could say something I'd regret.