The Date From Hell

Chapter 4: The Date From Hell

“This cabin feels too quiet,” I said, stepping inside as the door shut with a soft click. “No producers barking orders. No cameras in our faces every second. This has to be another setup.”

Nate dropped our bags and turned to me. “Setup or not, we’re here alone tonight. Hidden cameras only. Might as well sit down instead of standing here ready to fight.”

I sat on the edge of the couch, arms crossed. “Fine. But don’t start thinking this overnight getaway means I’m suddenly falling for you. This is still fake, Nate.”

“Fake?” He sat right beside me, our thighs pressing together. “You’ve been saying that since day one, yet you leaned into me during the handcuffs. Talk to me, Ivy. What’s going on in that head of yours?”

I shifted closer, feeling his warmth. “What’s going on is confusion. You’re not the arrogant captain I thought you were. Yesterday you actually listened when I talked about my family. Today you’re… different. Softer.”

He smiled at me, eyes warm. “Different how? Tell me straight.”

“Less guarded,” I said. “You carry the team, the scouts, all that pressure. I saw how exhausted you get underneath the confidence. Who do you talk to when it gets too heavy?”

Nate exhaled slowly and took my hand. “Honestly? No one. Everyone sees Captain Callahan. The guy who wins games and smiles for the cameras. They don’t see the nights I lie awake wondering if I’m enough. If I’ll let the whole team down.”

I squeezed his hand back. “You are enough, Nate. The way you cover for your teammates, the way you showed up for Ethan… that’s the real you. I didn’t want to admit it, but I see it now.”

He laughed softly and tucked a strand of hair behind my ear, fingers lingering on my neck. “And I see you, Ivy. Fighting for your family every single day. Protecting Ethan like he’s your whole world. That fire in you makes me want to protect you too. Even if this whole thing started as fake.”

Heat pooled low in my stomach. “Don’t say things that make me forget why I should keep my distance from you.”

“Why keep any distance?” he murmured, voice low and close. “We’re alone tonight. No crew watching. Just us. I like talking to you like this. No masks. No performance.”

I leaned in, our faces inches apart. “I like it too. More than I should. You make me laugh when I’m mad. You listen. It feels safe with you.”

He brushed his thumb along my jaw, eyes dark. “Safe with me? That’s new. But I want more than safety, Ivy. I want”

The cabin door flew open. A stunning girl with perfect hair stormed in, eyes blazing at Nate. “Nate! What the hell is this? You’re playing house with her like she actually matters?”

Nate stood fast, pulling me up with him. “Lauren? How did you get in here? This is a closed set.”

Lauren laughed bitterly, looking me up and down. “Closed? Producers let me in for the drama. Everyone knows you’re using this nobody for attention and sympathy points. She’s just another girl chasing your fame and your family’s money.”

I stepped forward, heart pounding. “Excuse me? I didn’t ask for any of this. I’m here because my brother’s scholarship is on the line. Not for fame.”

Lauren sneered. “Please. You’re loving every camera on you. Pathetic. Nate always goes for easy targets like you. Temporary distractions.”

“Enough,” Nate said sharply, stepping in front of me. “Don’t talk about Ivy like that. She’s not using me. She’s the realest person in this whole mess. She fights for her family in ways you never did. We’re done, Lauren. Leave. Now.”

Lauren’s eyes widened. “You’re seriously choosing her? Over me? This will blow up everywhere. She’s nobody.”

“Let it blow up,” Nate said, sliding his arm tight around my waist and pulling me against his side. “Ivy’s the one I want here. Not the fake smiles or the money. Her. Only her.”

Lauren stormed out, slamming the door. My phone started exploding with notifications.

“Social media is going crazy,” I said, voice shaking. “Thousands calling me a gold digger. Comments everywhere saying I’m using you. I can’t breathe.”

Nate pulled me closer, his hand rubbing my back. “Ignore them. I meant every word. You’re real. This isn’t fake for me anymore.”

I looked up at him, heart racing. “You defended me in front of everyone. It’s already viral. Now the whole internet thinks we’re actually together.”

He cupped my face with both hands. “Maybe they’re right. Your fire, your laugh, the way you see the real me behind the captain mask… I want this, Ivy. For real.”

Later that night I slipped into the bedroom corner and opened the chat.

LensCrusher: Tonight went wild. The getaway started amazingly. We talked for real. He opened up about feeling lonely behind all the captain pressure. Then his ex crashed in and attacked me. Called me a user chasing fame. Nate shut her down hard. Defended me right there. Said I’m the one he wants. Now everyone online thinks we’re real. I’m so confused.

MidnightMVP: …That’s heavy.

LensCrusher: Yeah. He chose my side completely. No hesitation. Made my stomach flip. I’m starting to feel things I swore I wouldn’t. What should I do? You always know what to say.

MidnightMVP: 

LensCrusher: Are you still there? You went quiet. Everything okay on your end?

MidnightMVP: Yeah. Just thinking. You deserve someone who picks you like that.

A new message from production popped up on my phone.

“Big announcement for tomorrow you and Nate have been selected for the live kissing challenge. In front of millions of viewers. Make it unforgettable.”

I stared at the screen, pulse hammering hard.

What if I actually want to kiss him when the whole world is watching?