2

CHAPTER 2

MIMI’S POV

Oh my goodness! No, did he just find out that I have a crush on my stepbrother? He shouldn't find out about this…infact, no one should. It's supposed to be my secret or I would end up endangering Danny’s career and life.

He's known to be manipulative and rude, and if he finds out my secret will be exposed and ruined because, even Danny is not allowed to know …at least not now.

It's all my fault because if I didn’t write those novels in the first place, this wouldn't have happened…I should have rejected the offer when the principal assigned me to be the one to submit the paperwork to the winner. What was I even thinking? Now he is standing shirtless in front of me and reading out the papers with a smirk.

And the worst part is that he is right, the only star players in this campus are him and Danny so who else could I have been writing this novel about if not one of them?

My palms became sweaty instantly and my heart beat faster than usual…my body was still pressing on him as I stared at him frozen with a trembling body and thinking of what to say. I quickly pulled away from him and let out a shaky cough adjusting my clothes ... .for a second, I couldn’t breathe.

He tilted his head slightly and his eyes darkened with curiosity as he asked again.

“So, tell me, Mimi… who is it? Me or your stepbrother?”

I swallowed hard as my trembling lips parted but no words came out, I struggled to find the right words to say. He just stood there placing his right hand on the wall behind me staring into my eyes.

How can I even say anything when the truth would make me look insane? My throat tightened and somehow I managed to say something.

“Oh please, stop talking nonsense. How the hell should that be a question? It’s none of your business Frank who I crush on.” I said shakily but I steadied my voice.

“My personal fantasies are not supposed to be your problem, ” I added, my voice quivering though I try to sound strong.

He chuckled softly and narrowed his eyes in amusement, he drew his face closer to mine until I could feel his breath brushing against my cheek.

“Why don’t you just admit it? We both know this isn’t about something personal. It’s about what you feel, Mimi. If it’s me, then say it. But if it’s your stepbrother… Don't you think that’s wrong? I mean, stepsiblings aren’t supposed to fall for each other.”

His words were menacingly and cut through me like a blade, my heart flipped and my breath hitched. I squeezed my fingers by my side trying to subdue my anxiety but Danny’s images filled my mind…his smiles, the way he ruffled my hair and called my name everything flooded in my head.

But I blinked repeatedly trying to shake off the thoughts and just as I was thinking about all of that, Frank's deep and teasing voice brought me back to reality.

“Hey. Hello? Are you fantasizing about me again?”

My head jerked up immediately and my eyes widened. I snapped at him, “Well, yes, I am fantasizing about you—and the only place I see you is in my nightmares. Let me tell you, Frank, you are my worst nightmare.”

My voice trembled but I said to him with finality, “No matter how hard you try Frank, we can’t be friends!”

Normally, I said hurtful things to him and expected him to get angry, glare at me and walk away with disappointment but instead, he laughed out loud shamelessly to my greatest surprise.

“Your nightmares, huh? That means you think about me all the time. And maybe, just maybe… you’re trying to avoid the truth from unfolding. If you're not dreaming about me, then you’re dreaming about him.”

My jaw tightened and I looked away from his gaze, “That’s not what I said,” I managed to whisper.

He stepped backwards a little and lifted the paper in his hand again as his eyes scanned through it…he smirked,

“You know, you’re actually quite popular on campus because who would have thought that you're the anonymous poet everyone talks about? The girl who posts on the school group under a secret name and writes erotica fanfiction about seduction?” He grins wider and I felt my knees weakened…I wished the ground could open and swallow me up.

But just when I thought he would stop, he continued. “You’re the one who wrote ‘10 Ways to Make a Bad Boy Fall for You.’ Impressive…your pen name is ‘sexy diva’. You must know a lot about love and romance, huh?”

My entire body freezes. My heart sinks to the floor. He knows, he knows about everything now…my crush, my secret novels and my anonymous pen name, all of it!

Panic surged through me like a storm, this can’t possibly be happening because he is the least person I wanted to know about this. Frank is a lady's boy and would definitely destroy me with just one word from him.

Frank had a way of turning small rumors into campus-wide gossip. One smirk from him could destroy anyone’s reputation. He is a bully in school and it's possible for him to tell the entire school about this.

My worst fear is not even about the school…it's the fact that Danny would also find out about it. And it would ruin everything: his career, his image and everything would be over because he would hate me for that.

“Please…don’t you dare tell anyone about this, Frank!” I yelled at him with my voice sharp,and desperately because I didn’t have a choice right now and no need to keep pretending.

He smirks lazily. “Oh yeah? And if I do, what will happen? What will you do if I expose your little secret —slap me again? So you’re threatening me now?” He asked, his tone was steady but playful as his eyes darkened.

“You know, I read your novel some time ago and I know that the Villain you mentioned in it as Mr. F is me…arrogant, tattooed peacock. That was me wasn’t it?.” He asked in a cold voice and my mouth opened slightly but nothing came out.

“No one else in this school fits that description,” he continues. “It’s either me or your precious Danny. And I won’t let you walk away from this, not this time, Mimi.”

My breath caught in my throat as he stepped closer to me and I almost thought he was going to do the worst but he placed his hand on my shoulder and smiled.

“Don’t worry too much, I'm not as heartless as you think. I'll let you off the hook this time and keep your secret on one condition.”

Hearing that, I looked up at him slowly as my eyes stared directly at him. “What condition?” I whisper.

“You’ll make it up to me,” he says, his voice dropping low. “You’ll write a new story about me telling everyone in the campus that I'm not arrogant and that I'm the sexy and hottest bad boy on campus.” His smirk widens.

“In fact, tell them that I have got the biggest…”

“Stop!” I cut him off, horrified, my cheeks burning.

But he laughed and his eyes glowed mischievously “Say the truth, Mimi…. Look at me. You can’t deny what you see right? Admit it that I'm hotter than your stepbrother.”

He gestured to his abs and muscles and my eyes unwillingly followed his hand movement. I didn’t even realize when I licked my lips and swallowed hard staring at his perfect body.

For a second, I hated the fact that he looks this good even though he is so irritatingly confident and so full of himself.

No wonder he is every girl's crush!

I snap my gaze away from him immediately, forcing my voice to stay calm.. “Fine. If that’s what you want, and if writing that stupid story will keep you quiet…then I’ll do it. Just make sure you don't tell anyone or say a word.”

I said immediately and without waiting for his response, I turned to leave but his hand grabbed my arm and whirl me around sharply.

“What is it now? I told you I would do it, stop pestering my life!”

He scoffed and said,“And you're walking out on me just like that? Don't you think I deserve a kiss at least? As a little compensation for helping you keep your secret while waiting for the novel.”

My eyes widened in disbelief, he's so despicable and exactly who he thinks he is. Before I could even move, he held my waist and drew me closer to himself making his face dangerously close to mine and he was about to kiss me when…

I blinked and quickly pushed him away with all my strength and landed a hard slap on his cheeks. It echoed through the whole walls.

His face twisted to the side as his cheek turned red instantly. He blinks in shock and then smirks again brushing his jaw with his palms.

“You just slapped me… for trying to kiss you?”

I glare at him, trembling. “And I will do that again and again if you try something stupid with me! Don’t you dare! I agree that your terms don't make me like you or friends.” My voice shakes, but I mean every word.

He took a step closer to me and lowered his head to my height, his voice was low and cocky. “You think I need permission from you, Mimi? I can take that kiss anytime I want because right now, you’re my property.”

My blood boils with his guts. “I’ll write your stupid story, but kiss you? I’d rather die than try that! I hate you Frank,” I said through clenched teeth.

He laughs softly, rubbing his chin. “We’ll see how far you're going to keep avoiding me. You might be begging me for it one day.”

“Shut up!” I snap, my patience breaking “That’s enough…let me tell you one thing, Frank ..this should be the first and the last time we cross paths again! If you see me on campus, just go your way and stay in your lane. We are not friends and will never be… We’re rivals!”

I shouted at him and before he could say another word, I stormed out of the men’s locker room, my heartbeat was beating wildly.

Asshole!

Immediately I got to the field, I breathed out in relief. It felt like a heavy burden had been washed away from me as I tried to calm down.

Of course my job as the hockey team assistant isn’t over for the day, I wished it was so I can run home now. But I have to pack their uniforms, shoes and the helmets they used during the game to the equipment room for the cleaners.

I sluggishly loaded all of them into a heavy bag with sweat dripping from my forehead. I muttered under my breath.

“I can’t believe him. I can’t believe he tried to blackmail me and at the same time, tried to kiss me!”

Anger and embarrassment flooded inside of me…my thoughts kept spinning between Frank’s smirk and Danny’s smile. I wont lie that both of them drive me crazy in different ways, but the difference is —one one makes my heart flutter and the other makes my heart skip in fear.

After packing up the equipment, I carried them to the equipment room which was on the other side of the locker room not too far from where Frank was. I struggled to lift the heavy bag onto the shelf and that was when my eyes caught with something….

Turns out that one of the rooms is slightly open and I could hear laughter and soft moans from there, my brows knitted together as I tried to ignore but one of the voices caught my attention.

Curiosity took the better of me as I took a few steps closer to the door and froze at the spot.

It was Danny…my stepbrother his hands were wrapped around the girl in front of him as he kissed her, they whispered like—lovers.

My breath caught in my throat and my chest ached instantly. I couldn’t breathe or move from the spot I was.

“Baby, you look so damn sexy,” Danny says, his voice low and husky. “Lift your hips a bit… just like that.”

The words hit me like a slap and my knees weakened immediately…tears dropped down from my eyes. I couldn’t believe what I was seeing, my stepbrother having fun with another woman right in front of me.

I made to run out of the place without alerting them but the bag I was holding fell from my trembling hands and crashed to the ground with a loud thud.

That was when the both of them turned to my direction, immediately Danny’s eyes met mine, his brows furrowed. The girl beside him smirked and adjusted her dress before strolling towards me with a wicked and taunting smile.

My throat tightens. My hands trembled ... .the masculine scent of his cologne hit me before his voice did.

“Well, well, well,” she says, brushing past me with a grin. “Look who came to spy on me again.”

I stood there frozen, my lips parted as I stared at Danny and as for the girl…she's another nightmare from my past!

“Mimi? What are you doing here?” Danny asked softly.