Pleading Puppy

Selene's POV

The male lead in the book Selene was reading was currently pinning the heroine against a marble wall, his fingers tangled in her hair, and her heart was hammering against her ribs like a trapped bird. She flipped the page of the paperback, biting her lower lip as the tension on the paper reached a boiling point.

Bang!

Her bedroom door flew open, slamming against the drywall.

"Selene! Oh my god, Selene!"

"Holy—" Selene screamed, panicking as she shoved the spicy romance novel deep beneath her pillow, her face flushing a violent crimson. She scrambled to sit upright on her mattress, smoothing down her oversized T-shirt. "Maya! Ever heard of knocking? You almost gave me a literal heart attack!"

Maya stood in the doorway, completely out of breath, her hands resting on her knees as she practically vibrated with excitement. She caught sight of Selene's frantic movement, looking at the corner of the pillow where a sliver of the book's cover was still sticking out.

A massive grin broke across her face. "Are you reading those books again? Seriously, Cap? Real life is happening outside, and you're in here blushing over fictional billionaires!"

"Shut up," Selene muttered, throwing a stray throw pillow at her head, which Maya easily dodged. "What is so important that you had to break my door frame?"

"The National Rugby Scout Magazine," Maya blurted out, her eyes wide. "The biggest rugby publication in the entire country. They are coming to Kingsford Academy to do an exclusive feature!"

Selene sat up straighter, a sudden wave of pride washing over her. "Wait, really? They want to feature the cheer squad's national title run alongside the rugby team? Maya, that's huge!"

"It's bigger than huge," Maya squeaked. "Because the entire internet has become completely obsessed with you and Ryder after yesterday's courtyard fight and that media day photo. The algorithms are drowning in edits of you two. The magazine doesn't just want a sports article—they want the two of you on their next official cover!"

"Oh my god!" Selene screamed, jumping out of bed. She grabbed Maya's hands, and the two of them started jumping up and down in the center of the dorm room, screaming in pure excitement. Front-page coverage! National recognition! This was exactly what her portfolio needed.

Then, her brain finally processed the exact words Maya had used.

Selene stopped jumping. Her hands dropped to her sides as a cold dread settled over her skin. She slowly turned her head back to Maya. "Wait... did you just say Ryder and me?"

"Yep!" Maya nodded cheerfully. "The edits, the TikTok videos, the campus blog articles—everyone is claiming you two are secretly in love and hiding a forbidden romance behind the athletic rivalry. It's one of the biggest high school sports stories in the country right now. You're the perfect cover stars."

"No. Absolutely not. Cancel the celebration," Selene said, marching back to her bed and crossing her arms tightly over her chest. "There is no universe where I am playing girlfriend to Ryder Kingston. I would rather eat dirt. I can barely stand being in the same zip code as that arrogant prick."

"I figured you'd say that," Maya said, casually checking her fingernails. "Which is a shame, honestly. Because the magazine is paying an appearance f*e."

"I don't care if they're paying—"

"Twenty thousand dollars each," Maya dropped the number like a bomb.

Selene froze. The word died in her throat. She blinked, staring at Maya to see if she was playing some twisted joke on her. "$50,000?"

Maya nodded slowly. "Cold, hard cash. Funded by the magazine's primary corporate sponsor."

Selene threw both hands straight into the air, her eyes completely wide. "Maya! You should've started with that!"

Within seconds, she grabbed Maya's hands again, screaming and jumping around the room all over again. Fifty thousand dollars! That wasn't just pocket change; that was her textbooks, her room and board, and a massive safety net for her future completely secured in one shot.

"Come on, change into your uniform!" Maya laughed, tugging her arm. "The principal has already gathered everyone outside the dormitory quad to discuss the official terms with the production crew."

Selene threw on her pleated cheer skirt, pulled her hair into its signature high ponytail, and practically sprinted down the dormitory stairs with Maya right at her heels.

When they pushed through the double glass doors into the afternoon sun, a small crowd had already formed. Principal Higgins stood near the stone fountain, flanked by several members of the varsity rugby team. And right in the center of them stood Ryder, looking effortlessly perfect in his white academy polo, his hands slid casually into his pockets.

"Ah, Miss Brooks! Splendid, you've arrived," Principal Higgins beamed, clapping his hands together. "I was just explaining to the boys what a tremendous opportunity this is. This front-page feature will bring unprecedented publicity to Kingsford Academy, our prestigious rugby program, and your upcoming national season."

Selene forced a polite, enthusiastic smile, nodding rapidly. "We are honored, sir. Truly."

Before the principal could continue detailing the schedule, a deep, calm voice cut right through the air.

"I'm sorry, sir... but I won't be participating."

An immediate, suffocating silence fell over the courtyard.

Selene snapped her head toward Ryder. He hadn't even looked at her. His gray eyes were fixed straight on the principal, his expression completely blank, cool, and unbothered.

Her jaw practically hit the pavement.

Is he insane?

He was about to flush twenty thousand dollars down the toilet like it was pocket lint.

"Mr. Kingston?" Principal Higgins blinked, utterly blindsided. "The contract is already drafted. The board has approved—"

"I apologize for the inconvenience, Principal Higgins," Selene interrupted loudly, forcing a dazzling, strained laugh that sounded entirely psychotic. "If you'll excuse us for just one brief moment, the Captain and I just need to... align our team strategies."

Before Ryder could protest, she marched forward, grabbed his muscular forearm in an iron grip, and dragged him away from the group. He didn't resist, letting her pull him around the corner of the brick academic building, completely out of sight from the crowd.

The second they were hidden, Selene spun on her heel, glaring up at him with pure fury.

"Have you completely lost your mind, Kingston?!"

Ryder lazily leaned his shoulder against the brick wall, looking down at her with an incredibly irritating shrug. "My mind is perfectly fine, Brooks."

"You just turned down the biggest magazine cover of the year! While you might not need the money, I certainly do!" she hissed, her voice vibrating with rage.

"Your financial problems aren't my concern," he replied smoothly, his tone entirely detached.

"This benefits both of us, you selfish idiot!" Selene argued, stepping closer into his space, her chest heaving. "You get massive national scouting recognition for your premier league draft, and I finally get a life-changing paycheck! Why are you being so difficult?"

Ryder's expression shifted, the careless mask dropping for a fraction of a second as his jaw set.

"Appearing in a magazine isn't the issue, Selene. The magazine doesn't want an athletic article. They want to sell us as the country's favorite young couple. I have absolutely zero interest in pretending to be someone's boyfriend for cheap internet publicity."

Selene opened her mouth to fire back another scathing insult, but the image of that $50,000 check flashed in her mind. Her tuition bills. Her mother's stress. The reality of her scholarship. She didn't have the luxury of pride.

She swallowed her rage, taking a slow, heavy breath. For the first time since she had met Ryder Kingston, she let her defenses drop.

"Please," she whispered, looking directly into his intense gray eyes.

Ryder blinked, his posture freezing as he stared down at her, clearly shocked by the sudden shift in her demeanor.

"Please, Ryder," she repeated, her voice quiet but fierce. "I will put up with the awkwardness. I will put up with the rumors. I will even put up with being around your annoying face constantly if it means earning that money. No amount of personal discomfort compares to what twenty thousand dollars can do for my life. Just... do this for me. Please."

Selene watched his eyes search her face, looking for any sign of a trick. Finally, a slow, familiar smirk gradually crept back onto his lips.

"Well..." he murmured, leaning down just enough so his breath brushed her ear, sending that familiar, annoying shiver down her spine. "Since you begged so nicely... I suppose I can say yes."

Selene fought the absolute urge to punch him directly in his perfect jaw.

Instead, she turned on her heel and marched right back to the fountain, with Ryder strolling casually behind her.

"Principal Higgins! We've discussed it. We officially accept the offer."

"Wonderful! Truly marvelous!" Principal Higgins clapped, his face lighting up with relief. "Excellent. There is just one final condition requested by the magazine production crew to ensure everything goes smoothly."

The entire group waited, the rugby players leaning in to listen.

"The production team wants candid footage—early-morning interviews, training sessions, evening strategy meetings, and behind-the-scenes interactions, which is why the academy has converted the east-wing guest residence into temporary accommodations for the production crew.

Since the feature centers on the two of you, you'll each be assigned adjoining suites there."

Selene's smile froze.

"Wait, what?"

"You will each have your own private bedroom, of course," Higgins reassured quickly. "But the rooms are connected by a shared interior door.

Your suites are also directly beside each other in the main hallway, allowing the photography and production team easy access throughout the week-long shoot."

Selene stared at the principal, the blood rushing out of her face. She cut her eyes to Ryder, whose cool, unbothered expression had completely vanished, replaced by total shock.

Then, at the exact same time—

"WHAT?!" they both yelled.