Chapter Eleven

Cole’s POV

Statistics were almost never wrong. In less than twenty-four hours since the video of the kiss went viral, it had already gathered over a hundred reposts. The narrative about me being Histon’s golden boy who manipulated his subordinate was beginning to lose traction, exactly like I predicted.

The new narrations were far more dramatic, but at least they didn’t damage my reputation.

Now there were two viral videos, over a hundred notifications, and one email that actually mattered.

I woke up to a message from AetherCore Technologies. They had decided to place my application under a three-month observation period while they evaluated my “conduct, public image and moral standing.”

Totally inconvenient.

“Dude, you’re trending.” Tyler barged into my room without knocking. “And not just as the cold genius or golden boy this time. You’re trending as the cold genius dating a celebrity star student and secret heiress. This is top-tier scandal. How do you somehow have more drama than an actual theatre student?”

He kept yapping while I shot him a flat glance from behind my laptop screen.

“You’re one to talk. Just because you’ve been unusually quiet lately, which is suspicious on its own, doesn’t erase your own history.”

Tyler laughed loudly. “Oh please, name one.”

“Splash Bar, first year.”

“That wasn’t even my fault. I just got caught in the middle of a gang fight.”

“The blonde from sophomore year that you two-timed.”

“I did not two-time anybody,” he defended immediately. “We weren’t even dating. We were just having fun.”

“Right. Sofia from engineering. How exactly did you even cross paths with her?” I asked, genuinely bemused.

“Okay, shut it. That’s enough.”

A small smirk tugged at my lips. Point proven.

“But seriously,” I continued, “why have you been so quiet lately? No love interests? No dramatic disasters? Nothing?”

Tyler went strangely silent. For a split second, something unreadable crossed his face. Longing maybe. Regret. Then it disappeared just as quickly. There was definitely someone. But why wasn’t he talking about her?

Instead of answering, he flopped backward onto my bed and peered toward my laptop. The email from AetherCore was still open.

“I’m guessing your life’s officially become a movie now,” he muttered lightly before his eyes suddenly lit up again. “Wait. If they’re watching you, doesn’t that mean you actually have to put on a convincing show?”

Way to dodge the topic, Tyl.

“We already gave them a show,” I replied. “Didn’t we?”

“You think one kiss is enough to convince the internet you’re a real couple?”

“It’s working.”

“For now.” Tyler rolled his eyes dramatically. “But people get bored. They need fresh content. Public appearances. Interactions. Couple behaviour.”

“I’m trying to end drama, not create more.”

The sooner all this disappeared, the sooner I could untangle myself from Riley Brooks and the chaos orbiting around her.

Tyler sat upright instantly, shaking his head. “No, no, no. That’s exactly the opposite of what you want. Think about AetherCore.”

“What do they have to do with this?” I asked, genuinely confused.

Tyler stared at me in disbelief before dragging a hand down his face. “For a genius, you’re acting incredibly dumb right now.”

I glared at him.

“They’re not going to hire spies to follow you around campus, Cole. They’ll monitor what people are already saying online. Public perception matters. Which means if you want them to believe this relationship is genuine and stable, you need proof.”

I pinched the bridge of my nose with a groan. As much as I hated admitting it, Tyler was right. Again.

“Please tell me you and Brooks actually discussed public appearances.” His grin returned instantly, mischievousness dancing in his eyes.

I shook my head tiredly. Somehow, I failed to account for all the extra complications that came with pretending to date someone.

“Well then,” Tyler declared proudly while pulling out his phone, “allow me to do what I do best.”

“Cause problems?”

“Showbiz.”

He ignored me completely and dialed Riley’s number before placing the call on speaker. After a few rings, she answered.

“Hey, what’s up?”

“I’m good. Where are you though? We need to talk.” Tyler leaned back against the desk in my room, casually.

“Well, I’m at the gym right now. I should be done in about an hour.”

“Perfect. Actually, scratch that. We’ll meet you there.”

His eyes sparkled with way too much excitement.

“We?” Riley questioned, confused, but Tyler had already ended the call.

“Okay,” he announced, turning toward me. “Get dressed. We’re going to the gym.”

“Why do I suddenly have no say in my own life?”

“You just don’t, kiddo.” He grinned. “Now hurry up.”

With that, he disappeared out of my room, leaving me alone with my thoughts for a few quiet minutes. Logically speaking, he was right. This was a temporary sacrifice for a long-term outcome. Nothing more.

Still, the thought sat uneasily in my chest.

---

The drive to the gym was torture. If I had been driving, I probably would’ve pulled over halfway just to throw Tyler out of the car. The entire ride, he insisted on teaching me what he called “the basics and etiquette of dating,” which somehow sounded even worse than it already was.

“Tyler,” I interrupted at one point, “picking a girl up princess-style does not prove you’re in a relationship. Nobody even does that anymore.”

“It’s romantic,” he argued passionately from the passenger seat. “Girls love that stuff.”

“I’m not about to start researching what girls find romantic.” Especially not Riley.

“Fine,” he sighed. “Then hug her. Or kiss her forehead. Hold her hand at least.”

“You do realize this is a contract, right?”

“Okay, but give me something to work with here.”

I shook my head, exhausted already, as we parked outside the gym.

The scent of rubber mats and metal hit immediately when we stepped inside. Music thumped through the speakers overhead while weights clanged rhythmically somewhere farther back. Conversations overlapped with the whirring hum of treadmills and the occasional sharp whistle from trainers.

“Bro, this is painful to watch,” Tyler muttered. “You’re acting like you’re heading into war.”

“This is my actual life, Tyler. Not one of your theatre rehearsals.”

He paused briefly at that before his grin returned almost instantly.

“Whatever. I’ll just explain things to Brooks since you clearly refuse to understand basic romance.”

With that, he walked ahead through the crowded gym floor. I followed more slowly behind him.

Then Tyler suddenly stopped. I followed his line of sight. Riley was standing near the treadmills talking to Noah Bennett.

Even from a distance, Noah was impossible to miss. Sandy-brown hair, easy confidence, campus-famous smile. The kind of person who looked comfortable anywhere.

And Riley….  She was smiling. Genuinely smiling. Not awkward, not nervous. Just… relaxed. There was an ease in her expression I hadn’t seen before. For reasons I couldn’t logically explain, something tightened unpleasantly in my chest.

Noah said something that made her laugh softly, her head tipping back slightly as the fluorescent gym lights caught the auburn strands in her hair.

I started walking toward them instinctively. By the time I reached her, Noah was already walking away.

“Brooks!” Tyler called loudly behind me, jogging over. Riley turned immediately, her smile widening slightly when she saw us.

“Hey guys. Tyler. Cole.”

Then something entirely irrational happened.

Before I could think it through, before logic could intervene, I stepped forward and pulled Riley into a full hug.

Warm. That was my first coherent thought. Her body stiffened in surprise before she let out a soft breath against my shoulder. Around us, several people audibly gasped. Including my overly dramatic twin.

The faint scent of vanilla and citrus wrapped around me for one dangerous second too long.

What the hell was I doing? More importantly…..

Why did it feel natural?