Ch.2

Rhys

Hold on.

I stare at the girl standing in front of the desk, my mind spinning in pure disbelief. Are these two really that dumb that they can't tell I'm not Reid? That jerk and I have absolutely nothing in common except for this face.

Seriously. I don't wear glasses, and I sure as hell don't talk like a polite textbook. Yet here she is, looking at me with these big, innocent, devoted eyes, completely convinced I'm their golden-boy Class Head.

I touch my cheek, feeling the edge of the pastel-pink bandage she just neatly stuck over my cut. It still stings a little from where that psycho girl's ring sliced my skin.

A slow, wicked smirk begins to spread across my lips as I look down at her flushed cheeks and her trembling hands.

But then again... if I already took a violent slap meant for Reid, I should also take the reward. Right? It’s only fair.

Reid is always getting all sorts of things just by being the perfect, boring son. Now he’s getting a full-blown love confession from a girl? He better appreciate this face I lent him. Besides, looking at how sweet and ridiculously beautiful she is, there’s no harm in helping him accept it, right?

I let out a low, teasing chuckle, letting the zipper of the duffel bag go.

I take a couple slow steps until she’s practically trapped between me and the desk. She’s wearing a cream sweater and a beige skirt, her hair pulled back into a tight, neat bun, exposing the soft, stray baby hairs at the nape of her neck... damn, she's really pretty. But her breath instantly hitches the closer I get.

“A chance, huh?” I murmur, letting my voice drop into its usual raspy drawl. “Yeah. I think I can definitely do that.”

Her eyes widen to the size of saucers. 

“You... you mean it?” she stammers, her fingers anxiously twisting the edge of her sweater. “You're not just saying that because I patched up your face?”

I lean down as my smirk widens. “Sweet girl, I never say things I don't mean,” I say, my eyes tracing her jawline.

She looks like she’s about to faint right there on the floor. Her face is bright red, and she looks down at her expensive-looking sneakers like they have the answers to the universe.

Honestly, my brother doesn't deserve this.

The only reason I'm even standing in his boring-ass homeroom packing his textbooks is because the idiot got an emergency call from our mother and dashed out of town like his pants were on fire. He begged me to grab his left-behind junk so our dad wouldn't lecture him about being irresponsible.

I was planning on just grabbing the bag and leaving. But then I got snapped, and now this gorgeous girl is looking at me like I hung the moon.

If Reid can’t even manage his own love life, I might as well get things moving for him.

“So,” I say, leaning back and pulling my phone out of my pocket. “If we’re doing this holiday thing, I’m gonna need a way to reach you.”

Handing her my phone, “Put your number in.”

She blinks, her hands shaking slightly as she takes my phone. She types her digits in quickly, her glossy lips parted in a cute little line in pure concentration.

I take the phone back from her, glancing at the screen, realizing I can't exactly ask for her name without ruining the whole I'm Reid act. If I ask, she'll know instantly I'm a fake.

So, I decide to play it smooth.

Right in front of her, I edit the contact name.

I type out:

Sweetgirl 

With a heart emoji attached.

She peeks at the screen, and her eyes go wide.

A dark blush creeps up her neck, making her look even prettier. She bites her lip, completely flustered by the name and the sudden heart emoji. I bet my nerdy brother would save her number with her full first and last name, so watching her brain melt over a simple nickname is pure entertainment.

“There,” I smirk, sliding the phone back into my pocket as I hoist Reid’s heavy duffel bag over my shoulder. “Now you won't miss me too much over the break.”

“I... I won't,” she whispers, completely starstruck.

I head for the door, giving her one last wink over my shoulder.

“See you around.”

I step out into the hallway, walking past another girl standing by the wall who looks like she just saw a ghost. I ignore her and head straight out to my truck.

The second I get behind the wheel, I throw Reid’s bag into the passenger seat and pull out my phone.

I’m already bored, and thinking about the way that girl looked at me in that classroom is doing things to my head.

I should call the asshole to know when he’ll be back. Scrolling to find his contact and hit call.

“Rhys?” His annoying smooth voice comes through, I can hear the echo on his end.

“Hey, you should reward me for today… Tell me when you’ll be back.” I say, turning the steering wheel.

“I don't know, I might spend the entire holiday… Mum’s situation is not good, the helper said she stopped eating again.” 

My chest tightens a little, fuck. I shouldn't have called.

I can't say another word, he catches the silence and lets out a breath. “You should come see her, she really wants to see you—”

I cut him off, “Ugh, please don't even say that crap… I'm not seeing anyone. She can't ask for the children she left, only to return 15 years later…I don't have a mother Reid.” 

Not wanting to give him another chance to try to convince me, I end the call. Grinding my jaw so hard my head aches.

When Reid and I were five, we woke up one morning and my mum was suddenly gone…only to find out she had remarried the man she loved, apparently she left him to accept her family's proposal with my Dad's family. A marriage of convenience, and they had divorced secretly without our knowledge.

I never hated her, nor hated that she left…it's just—she never contacted us, only for the news of her illness to come two years ago…she wanted to see us.

“Hah! That spoilt my mood… I should go skating later. Tsk.” I murmur, gripping the wheel harder.

Well, it looks like our dear Sweetgirl won't have her wish come through since the jerk won't be coming at all. But I already told her I don't say what I don't mean…

I should keep to my words.

I tap her contact and click the green icon.

She answers, “Hello?”

“Miss me already?” I drawl into the receiver.

I’m already driving down the main road, completely leaving the school building behind.

There’s a sharp gasp on the other end of the line, followed by a long, stunned silence. “R-Reid?” she stammers.

Hearing her call me by my brother's name makes a wicked smile spread across my face. I tap my fingers against the steering wheel, completely enjoying how easy it is to mess with her. She really has no idea.

“Listen,” I say, cutting straight to the point. “Clear your schedule this weekend. I’m sending you an invitation. Don't be late.”

“An invitation?” she asks. Her voice sounds so small, breathless and captivated. “For what?”

“You’ll see,” I chuckle, loving the mystery of it. “Just look good for me, babe.”

I hang up before she can even answer. I toss the phone onto the passenger seat right next to Reid’s heavy duffel bag and hit the gas.

This holiday break just got a whole lot more interesting.