The Offer

Jace's POV 

I pushed through the library doors, shoulders hunched against the sudden quiet. My palms were sweaty for some reason so I wiped them on my hoodie twice before shoving them deep into my pockets. The weight in my chest pressed harder with every step. Rows of tables blurred past until I spotted her in the back corner. Her head down, earbuds in, notebook open like the rest of the world didn’t exist.

I stopped a few feet away, my right foot tapped the floor once, twice, then stilled. My throat worked as I swallowed. This felt wrong, but Dad’s voice from yesterday, the guys in the locker room and the endless notifications they all pushed me forward.

She looked up at me, her eyes widened for a split second, then narrowed. One earbud came out slowly.

I pulled out the chair across from her and sat, keeping my hands under the table where she couldn’t see them clenching. My knee started bouncing. I pressed my heel into the floor to stop it.

“Hey,” I said, voice lower than normal. “Ariana, right?”

She gave a small nod, her fingers tightened around her pen.

“I’m Jace.” I cleared my throat. “About that video…”

Ariana looked down at her notebook. Her shoulders stayed rigid.

I rubbed the back of my neck, my skin hot under my fingers. “It’s everywhere…people assuming stuff. After Maya… it’s messing things up for me.”

Silence stretched then she turned the pen over and over in her hand.

I leaned forward, elbows on the table then caught myself and leaned back again. My fingers laced together tight on the tabletop, knuckles pale.

“Look,” I continued, words coming faster. “My teammates think we could… use this. You know… fake it, just public stuff. We can take pictures, show up at a couple games for like three months, then we end it. No feelings, nothing real.”

Her pen stopped moving then she stared at me.

I swallowed again. My legs started bouncing under the table, I dug my heel harder into the floor. 

“You’re on scholarship, right?” I added quickly. “I could help. Get you team interviews, access most people don’t get and whatever you need for your journalism stuff.”

Ariana’s hand moved to the edge of her notebook, her knuckles went white but she didn’t speak.

I stared at the table between us. My hands unclasped and clasped again. The silence pressed in on me, I could hear my own breathing; it was too loud. Part of me wanted her to tell me to leave, another part needed her to say yes so the calls from Dad might finally stop. She finally looked up, those expressive eyes were careful and closed off.

“You want me to pretend to date you… because of one video?” Her voice was quiet.

I nodded, my jaw tightened. “Yeah, I know it's not ideal, but right now it fixes shit for both of us. I get people off my back, you get opportunities then a clean break after three months.”

Her fingers pressed into the notebook cover. I watched her swallow, and watched the small movement in her throat.

I stood up suddenly, my chair scraping loud in the quiet space. My hands went back into my pockets. “Think about it. You don’t have to answer now. Just… consider it.”

She stayed silent, eyes on me.

I turned and walked away, steps stiff, shoulders pulled tight. My heart hammered against my ribs the whole way to the door. Outside, the cold air hit my face but didn’t ease the pressure in my chest.

The offer was out there now and there was no undoing it.

I kept walking, and clenched my fists inside my pockets, the weight of everything followed me across campus.