All Chapters of Rival's Contract Marriage : Chapter 41 - Chapter 50

POV: BrandonI shoved the bar door open, my heart hammering against my chest like it was trying to break free. The music thudded loudly behind me, but the cold air outside smacked me harder than any bass drop could. My hands were shaking, some was part from anger, part from the mess I’d just left behind.And there was Hilda, stomping down the sidewalk like she hadn’t just wrecked my entire life in one night.Seriously, she looked like a toddler throwing a tantrum.“Hilda, get your stupid ass here!” I yelled, my voice scraping my throat.She didn’t even flinch and I felt my face twitch in annoyance.I jogged to catch up, grabbing her arm and spinning her around so fast her hair whipped across her face. “What the fucking hell was that?” I hissed, my chest rising and falling like I’d just run a marathon.She yanked her arm back like I’d burned her. “Don’t fucking touch me,” she snapped, eyes blazing.“I wouldn’t have to if you stopped acting like a maniac,” I shot back. “Why were you a

POV: BrandonThe cab rattled over a pothole, and Cameron groaned, slumping further into the seat like he was trying to melt into the leather. His forehead pressed against the window, eyes shut tight, and his fingers curled in his lap like he was holding himself together by sheer force of will.I winced, glancing at the driver. “Hey, could you maybe drive a little more carefully?” I asked, trying to keep my voice polite. “He’s not feeling great.”The driver snorted, eyes flicking to me in the rearview mirror. “Maybe your drunk boyfriend shouldn’t have partied so hard,” he muttered, tapping the steering wheel impatiently as he sped up to beat a yellow light.My jaw clenched. I sat up straighter, leaning forward so he could see me better in the mirror. “First of all, he’s not my boyfriend — he’s my fiancé, so use the right term,” I snapped, heat prickling up my neck. “And second, you’re getting paid to drive, not to run your mouth. So how about you do your job without the commentary?”Th

POV: CameronI woke up to soft breathing. Not mine.For a second, I had no clue where I was. The room was warm and kind of dim, the curtains only letting in this weak streak of morning light. Everything felt fuzzy, like that weird space between sleep and being awake. My brain hadn’t caught up yet.But then I shifted a little—and my leg brushed against something. No. Someone.My eyes flew open.Brandon.He was lying right next to me, half the blanket kicked off him, one arm bent above his head like he’d passed out mid-thought. His messy dark hair was all over the place and his face was… peaceful. Like, stupidly peaceful. No smirk. No teasing grin. Just him, asleep.And somehow that made my stomach flip.I blinked hard and sat up slowly, my heart thudding a little too fast in my chest. My eyes traced the curve of his jaw, the soft rise and fall of his chest. He looked so calm—so real—it made something in my chest ache.And then it hit me like a sucker punch to the gut.I hadn’t thought

POV: CameronI threw myself into work like my life depended on it.It was either that or think about Brandon, and I couldn't freaking handle that right now.So yeah, I answered every damn email. I reorganized the supply closet twice. I even volunteered to help clean up after lunch, just so my hands had something to do. Anything to keep my brain from spiraling into memories I didn’t ask for.But they kept slipping in anyway.Like the sound of his laugh echoing in my ears when I passed someone joking at the front desk. Or the way someone next to me clicked their pen, and I immediately remembered how Brandon used to do that when he was thinking too hard — how he’d chew the end of it and squint at his notes like they were personally offending him.God. It was pathetic. I was fucking pathetic.I slammed my locker shut so hard it rattled, and someone down the hall gave me a look. I didn’t care. I just needed to get out of there before I lost it. Again.I walked fast, practically jogging acro

Brandon POVThe knock on the door came at the weirdest time. Not like, bad weird. Just... unexpected. I had just changed into my baggiest hoodie and basketball shorts and was midway through stuffing popcorn into my mouth while scrolling through a list of movies to half-watch while overthinking my life.Then, knock knock knock.I froze.No one really just showed up anymore. Not since college classes got crazy and people just texted before swinging by.I padded over to the door, dragging my feet just a little because I honestly wasn’t in the mood to entertain anyone. But when I opened it...Cameron was standing there.In ripped jeans, a black hoodie that had to be his favorite by now, and that usual "I swear I don't care but I totally do" expression plastered across his face.My heart did that stupid thing again — the one where it sped up for no reason."Hey," he said, rubbing the back of his neck like he hadn't ghosted me for a week straight."Uh... hey?"There was a pause. One of thos