Chapter 6

Brandon’s POV

Cameron had a girl he liked.

I wonder who it was, was it a girl at our school? My mind was turning through images of every girl he talks to, even people in his race term but no matter how I think, I couldn’t bring up a single person.

The words kept echoing in my head and it was sticking out like a splinter I couldn’t get out. I stared at him across the café table, watching as he calmly laid out the details of our upcoming marriage like he was planning a business merger.

He looked so good so serious like that. 

"We’ll stay married for a year," he said, his voice steady, almost too steady, like he had practiced this several times. "We will be married for that time frame and then we’ll get a divorce. I’ll take full responsibility for it publicly—I’ll say I was the one at fault. I’ll compensate you for your time and trouble, and you won’t have to worry about the media backlash. I’ll handle it all. I just need to play your part well."

He paused, locking eyes with me. "If you have any requests, just tell me. I’ll try to meet them."

I barely heard the last part. My mind was still tangled in the first thing he said—he had a girl he liked for a long time. 

I leaned back in my chair, running my thumb over the rim of my coffee cup. The warmth of the drink did nothing to thaw the cold twist in my gut.

So that was it, huh? It was finally happening.

This wasn’t just a forced marriage for him. It was a fucking countdown. A temporary inconvenience. Something to get through as quickly as possible so he could run back to her.

A slow smile curled my lips, but it didn’t quite reach my eyes.

I should’ve fucking expected this.

Cameron Aston was many things, he was cold, distant and frustratingly untouchable—but he wasn’t the type to jump into something like this without a plan. And if he had someone else waiting in the background, then that meant… I was just a placeholder for the mean time.

It shouldn’t bother me.

It really shouldn’t.

But it did.

"Fine then” I said, keeping my tone light, as if this entire thing wasn’t pressing down on my chest like a weight. "I don’t need anything else."

Cameron frowned, clearly thrown off by how quickly I agreed to his demands. His fingers twitched against the table, and for a second, I wondered if he was about to take back the offer.

"You don’t want a contract?" he asked slowly, like he didn’t trust me. "A prenup? Something legal to make sure I don’t screw you over?"

I shrugged. "Nah, theres no need, I trust you."

A muscle jumped in Cameron’s jaw and his eyes flickered with something—annoyance? Suspicion? Maybe both.

He leaned forward slightly, his voice dropping to something almost sharp. "Don’t fucking mess with me, Brandon. I know how you are. You agree now, but later, you pull something—"

"If you’re worried pretty boy," I cut him off smoothly, "we can call a lawyer right now. Or I can sign whatever papers you want, whenever you’re ready. No tricks. No games."

“Don’t fucking call me that,” He growled at my face and my lips tilted in amusement.

“why not? Youre a pretty boy so you have to agree with me.”

“fuck you asshole.” Cameron muttled under his breath.

Cameron suddenly went quiet.

For the first time in this entire conversation, he actually looked… unsure.

Like he wasn’t expecting me to make this so easy. Like he wanted me to fight back, to push him into a corner, to act the way I always did, to act like the way he knew.

But I didn’t.

Because I wasn’t letting him see what I really felt.

After a few long beats of silence, Cameron finally exhaled and he sat back in his chair with shoulders relaxing—just a fraction—but it was enough to tell me that, for now, he was choosing to trust me.

He held out a hand. "Then… it’s a deal, don’t fuck this up."

I stared at his hand for a few seconds.

Then, slowly, I reached out and took it.

His grip was firm, like he was trying to make a point, but I didn’t care about that. My fingers curled around his, and before he could pull away, I let my thumb graze over the base of his ring finger.

It was a tiny touch and it was barely anything.

But I felt the way his hand tensed in mine even if it was just for a split second.

A smirk tugged at my lips as I squeezed his finger ever so slightly and whispered, "Happy marriage, Cameron."

His whole body stiffened.

For a moment, I thought he’d pull his hand away like I’d burned him, but he didn’t. He just stared at me and something dark flickered in his green eyes, something unreadable.

Then, as fast as it came, it was gone, like it never happened.

He pulled back, clearing his throat. "I’ll… set up a meeting with my lawyer this week, make sure you come with yours."

"Can’t wait," I said, leaning back, my smirk still firmly in place.

Cameron shot me one last look—half wary, half something else I couldn’t quite name—before he grabbed his coat and walked out of the café.

The moment he was gone, I let my smile drop.

I exhaled slowly, dragging a hand through my hair.

Cameron had a girl he liked.

And yet… he was going to marry me and it was clearly not by choice.

The thought twisted in my chest, sharp and bitter.

I had agreed to this marriage because I wanted Cameron. I wanted him in a way I didn’t even fully understand myself. But for him?

I was nothing more than a means to an end.

And I wasn’t sure if I could handle that.