Chapter 5

Chapter 5: The Hero

The sick bay smelled like antiseptic and stale coffee. Asher carried me straight through the doors like some tragic hero from a romance movie, my wet clothes dripping all over the floor. The nurse on duty jumped up from her desk, eyes wide.

“What happened?” she asked, rushing over.

“She fell into the pool,” Asher said smoothly, voice laced with perfect concern. “She can’t swim. I managed to get her out just in time.” He gently laid me down on the examination bed, brushing wet strands of hair from my face in a gesture that looked tender to anyone watching.

I wanted to scream.

The nurse immediately checked my breathing and pulse. “She’s stable, but we’ll monitor her for a bit. You did the right thing bringing her here so quickly.”

Asher nodded, playing the role flawlessly. “I’ll stay with her.”

The nurse gave him a grateful smile and stepped out to grab some dry towels and forms, leaving us alone. He then stood up to use the restroom.

He had barely left the room when the door flew open again.

In walked a tall, stunning blonde flanked by three equally flawless girls. Queen bee energy radiated off her — designer bag, perfect makeup, and a sneer that could cut glass. I’d seen her photos all over campus socials, but I have no idea who she really is.

“Well, well,” she said, voice dripping with fake sweetness as her eyes landed on me. “So this is the scholarship slut who slapped my Asher and then conveniently ‘fell’ into the pool so he could save her.”

Her squad giggled behind her.

“Pathetic,” one of them added. “Trying to escape punishment with the drowning act? How original.”

I sat up slowly, still wrapped in the towel. “What do you want?”

The blonde stepped closer, looming over the bed. “You think you’re special now? You’re just a charity case who—”

“Enough.”

Asher’s voice cut through the room like a whip. He had stepped back inside without me noticing, arms crossed, expression cold.

The blonde’s face lit up for a second before she saw his glare. “Asher, baby, I was just—”

“She’s my girlfriend,” he said flatly. “And you’re going to stay the fuck away from her.”

Silence.

The blonde’s perfectly painted mouth fell open. “Your… what?”

“You heard me, Lila. Ivy is mine. Tell your little followers to back off. If I hear any of you talking shit or bullying her again, you’ll regret it.”

Lila’s cheeks flushed bright red. Humiliation burned in her eyes as she looked between us. Her squad shifted uncomfortably behind her. Without another word, she spun on her heels and stormed out, her friends hurrying after her like scared ducklings.

The door slammed shut.

I stared at Asher, heart pounding. “What do you mean I’m your girlfriend? Are you out of your mind?”

He leaned against the wall, watching me with that signature smirk. “You said you'd do anything. So just until the tournament ends, I need to keep up with the good guy image.”

I let out a bitter laugh. “So I’m your prop now?”

“Well, you can put it that way,” he said.

I clenched my fists, still damp and exhausted. “Fine. But I have conditions.”

Asher raised an eyebrow, amused. “Go on.”

“You stop calling me ‘charity case.’ Not in public or private.”

He considered it for a second, then gave a small nod. “Deal. My conditions: You live up to my image. You support the team at every game and event. You sit with us only. No more lone wolf scholarship girl act. You’re with me now.”

I swallowed hard. This was spiraling fast, but I had no choice. My secret at Midnight Velvet was still hanging over my head.

“Fine,” I whispered.

Asher pushed off the wall and walked over, stopping right in front of the bed. He tilted my chin up with two fingers, forcing me to meet his cold gray eyes.

Before I could pull away, he stretched his hand out toward me.

“What?”

“Your phone.”

“Why?”

He sighed, clearly irritated. “Can you stop asking so many questions and just hand it over?”

I hesitated for a second, then reluctantly gave him my phone. He immediately swiped it open.

“You don’t have a pass lock?” he asked, sounding almost surprised.

“Well, I don’t have anything to hide, so no.”

Asher moved closer, sitting on the edge of the bed. The scent of chlorine and his skin filled my nose. “Okay. Smile.”

I barely had time to react before he raised the phone and snapped a photo of us. In the picture, I looked flushed and surprised, while he had that perfect, arrogant half-smirk, his face close to mine.

“What’s that for?” I asked, trying to grab the phone back.

“You need to make a post on your I*******m.”

“Why?”

He gave me a look like I was stupid. “How else do you want people to believe we’re together?”

Before I could say another word, he tapped away on my screen. A few seconds later, he turned the phone toward me.

He had posted the photo with the caption:

“Day 1 of forever” with a heart emoji and ridiculous hashtags. He even tagged himself on the post.

My stomach dropped. The post was already getting likes and comments in real time.

I stared at him, speechless. He had just made our fake relationship public in the most intimate way possible, and I had no control over it.

Asher handed my phone back with a satisfied smile. “This is going to be fun.”

My stomach flipped fear and heat twisting together.