Alle Kapitel von Rival's Contract Marriage : Kapitel 31 – Kapitel 40

Cameron’s POVI looked at Brandon in a new light after he finished his story.The words he’d spoken lingered in the air, heavy and raw, like they’d seeped into the walls and refused to leave. My chest ached, and my mind spun, replaying everything he’d told me on an endless loop. I couldn’t believe he’d carried that weight for so long — not just from me, but from everyone.He had gone through so much, endured things no kid should ever have to face, and there was nothing he could have done to stop it. And yet, here he was. Still standing. Still breathing. Still smiling.How was he still smiling? And so brightly, too?My heart broke all over again as he described what he’d suffered at the hands of his kidnapper — the dark room, the chains, the smell of gasoline clinging to his skin. The thought of Brandon, small and terrified, trapped in some awful place, made my stomach twist. I clenched my fists until my nails dug into my palms, but no amount of anger could change the past.The helples

Cameron POVI threw myself into my studies like my life depended on it.Maybe it did.Because the second I slowed down, even for a breath, my mind betrayed me. It dragged me back to that stupid night in Brandon’s car. To the way his lips felt against mine — warm, steady, like he wasn’t even surprised. Like he’d been waiting for me to break.And I had.I kissed him.I kissed my fake fiancé, and he kissed me back.Normally I can't say anything if we did it in public, we would have eyes watching us. But that night, there were no eyes on us. No one was watching. No expectations.And he still kissed me back.Why did he kiss me back?Why didn’t he stop me?Now I couldn’t think about anything else.So I didn’t let myself stop.I packed my schedule so full it felt like I was running a marathon every single day. Classes blurred together, lectures droning in the background while my hand moved on autopilot, scribbling notes I barely registered. I signed up for every extra lab, every volunteer se

POV: BrandonThe frat house smelled like stale beer and cheap pizza, which meant it was a normal Wednesday.I sank into the worn-out couch, my feet propped on the coffee table, pretending to listen to some guy rant about his professor’s impossible grading system. The TV blared in the background, playing highlights from last weekend’s football game, but no one was really watching.“Bro, I swear he’s out to ruin my life,” Jason groaned, tossing a foam football against the wall. “I turned in that paper early, and he still gave me a C.”“Maybe he just hates your face,” Tyler said, popping open a soda with a loud hiss.“Or your personality,” Alex added, grinning as he ducked the football Jason threw at him.I chuckled, but my mind was a million miles away. Or, more accurately, down the street, probably buried in a mountain of textbooks.I checked my phone for the third time in ten minutes.Still nothing from Cameron.It had been three weeks. Three weeks since the kiss. Three weeks of silen

POV: CameronThe bar was louder than I expected.The bass from the speakers thrummed through the floor, vibrating up my legs and rattling my chest like a second heartbeat. People packed into the space like sardines, shouting to be heard over the music, their voices a chaotic blur of laughter and conversation. The air smelled like spilled liquor and cheap cologne, the sticky-sweet combination almost enough to make me turn around and walk right back out the door.But I didn’t.Because I was already here.And because Hilda was here.I shoved my hands in my pockets and pushed through the crowd, keeping my head down as I wove past clusters of drunk college students and couples clinging to each other like lifeboats. Someone bumped into my shoulder, sloshing their drink onto my sleeve, but I barely flinched. I just kept moving, eyes locked on the hallway leading to the private room in the back.I needed to get away from the noise.From the eyes.People were already looking at me — a few girl

POV: BrandonThe game was stupid.Or at least that’s what I kept telling myself as I watched Cameron and Hilda go back and forth like they didn’t even know I existed. I leaned against the wall, gripping my drink so tightly the condensation made my fingers slip.It shouldn’t bother me.I shouldn’t care.But every time Cameron laughed — every time Hilda leaned closer, flipping her hair and flashing her perfect smile — something in my chest burned.I took another sip, pretending to listen to whatever Matt was saying next to me, but the words blurred together.All I could focus on was them.Cameron biting his lip.The way his eyes crinkled when he smiled.How he kept fidgeting, rubbing his palms on his jeans like he wanted to disappear.I hated that I noticed all of it.Hated even more that I cared.“You’re fucking staring dude,” Matt said, elbowing me.I flinched, almost spilling my drink. “I’m not dipshit.”Matt snorted. “Dude, you’ve been watching him all night.”“No, I haven’t.”“You