All Chapters of Off-script: My Accidental Fake Boyfriend: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

38 Chapters

Chapter Twenty-One

Cole’s POVThe entire meeting passed in a blur. All I wanted was for it to end so I wouldn’t have to keep seeing Noah’s face or sitting in the same room with him. The idea of being part of this committee was already unappealing enough. I had fully intended to talk to Professor Phil about removing me from the team.Then Professor Stones mentioned the last name I ever expected to hear.“Emelia Hayes.”My body went rigid instantly as my eyes snapped toward the door. It couldn’t be her. There was no way. But then she walked in. Exactly the way I remembered her.That same soft smile that always had a way of disarming me too easily. The same eyes that somehow melted anger before I could properly hold onto it, leaving only pain behind. Her gaze searched the room slowly until it landed on me, and the moment it did, her smile widened.“Hey, Ace. It’s been a minute, hasn’t it?”Suddenly, the room faded into the background until it felt like it was only Emelia and me standing there. My brain must

Chapter Twenty-Two.

Riley’s POVI had seen Cole annoyed, unimpressed, sarcastic, and emotionally unavailable. What I hadn’t seen until today was completely thrown off balance. Why did everything between them feel so tense and awkward? Why did he look like simply being in the same room with Emelia physically unsettled him?Questions crowded my head faster than I could make sense of them.After Cole walked out and Emelia followed after him, I was dangerously close to eavesdropping. Entirely out of curiosity, of course. Even Tyler’s expression gave nothing away, which somehow made everything feel even stranger.“I think we should end the meeting here,” Tyler suggested eventually, a grimness replacing the usual spark in his eyes.Stacy nodded in agreement while everyone slowly began gathering their things, though oddly enough, nobody moved immediately. The atmosphere in the room felt too stiff now, like everyone was quietly waiting for someone else to speak first.Tyler stood at last. Before leaving, he glan

Chapter Twenty-Three

Riley’s POV“Okay, so tell me in detail.” June started as she gently weaved the brush through my hair.The apartment was unusually peaceful that morning. Soft sunlight filtered through the living room windows, casting warm golden streaks across the couch where I sat. Evidence of our movie marathon still littered the room. Empty snack bowls sat abandoned on the coffee table, a blanket was tangled around one armchair, and two half-finished mugs remained exactly where we'd left them the night before.The faint scent of vanilla from June’s favorite candle still lingered in the air, mixing with the smell of coffee brewing in the kitchen.Having June brush my hair had somehow become its own form of therapy. Whenever life became too loud, too messy, or too overwhelming, she would sit me down, grab a brush, and force me to be still for a few minutes.“What’s with the new post trending on Campus Blog?” she asked. “Why do they suddenly have it hot for your boyfriend and another girl?”I heaved

Chapter Twenty-Four

Riley's POVHours passed as students gradually filed out of the rehearsal hall. At some point, June had to leave too. She was currently working on a project under a mentor she dreamed of working with after graduation, and every opportunity mattered.Ironically, she wouldn't even be there if I hadn't forced the issue.A year ago, June was terrified of applying for anything remotely competitive. She constantly questioned whether she was talented enough, whether she was skilled enough, whether she deserved a place beside people she admired.It drove me insane. Because I knew June better than she gave me credit for. She was brilliant at what she did. Backstage preparation, makeup, special effects, costume management, general production logistics, she seemed to understand every moving piece behind a performance in ways most people never would.The problem was that June never believed it. So when the internship application opened, I submitted her name myself. She nearly murdered me for it.At

Chapter Twenty-Five

Tyler's POVThe Centennial Gala hadn't even officially started, and somehow it already felt like the beginning of a train wreck.While I do love a good show, I wouldn't enjoy one at the expense of my brother slowly losing his mind and pretending to be fine. Cole wasn't fooling anyone. At least not anyone who had spent twenty-two years sharing a birthday with him.But that wasn't my problem right now.My problem was that I'd been sitting here for over ten minutes, starving, while Stacy stared at the cafeteria menu with the concentration of someone decoding ancient scripture.The lunch crowd had taken over almost every table. Students moved through the room carrying trays piled high with food, conversations overlapping into a constant hum of noise. The scent of coffee, fries, grilled chicken, and something suspiciously overcooked lingered in the air. Meanwhile, Stacy was still studying the menu."Urggg... I can't decide." She groaned dramatically, resting her forehead against the lamina

Chapter Twenty-Six

Riley's POVThe first official group meeting for the Centennial Gala was today.I couldn't tell if I was excited or terrified, but I knew one thing for certain, I didn't want to disappoint. Failing was not an option.The conference hall was already half occupied by the time I arrived. Sunlight streamed through the tall windows, washing the polished table in warm afternoon light. The low hum of the air conditioner filled the otherwise quiet room.Cole was seated, a laptop open in front of him and a pair of headphones resting over his ears. Stacy sat beside him, completely absorbed in whatever she was working on. Her fingers moved rapidly across her tablet while several pages of notes lay spread around her.Tyler and I had come straight from class together, so we took the seats opposite them, with me directly across from Cole and Tyler opposite Stacy. Cole lifted his eyes briefly at our arrival in silent acknowledgment before returning his attention to his screen."Hey fellas," Tyler gr

Chapter Twenty-Seven

Cole's POVI left class annoyed.The notification sitting on my phone screen shouldn't have bothered me as much as it did. Another stranger dissecting my life beneath the same picture that had started this entire mess.What annoyed me most wasn't the notification itself. It was the sudden realization that I hadn't actively tried to find the person responsible in days.Days. That was unacceptable.For someone who preferred solving problems over sitting in them, I had spent an embarrassing amount of time managing the consequences instead of finding the cause.Instead of hunting down the culprit, I'd been occupied with proving a fake relationship was real, attending Centennial Gala meetings, and avoiding Emelia Quins.I shoved my phone into my pocket and stepped into the hallway. Students flowed around me in clusters, conversations bouncing off the walls as people hurried between classes. Lockers slammed shut. Shoes squeaked against polished floors.Then I noticed someone watching me acr

Chapter Twenty-Eight

Riley's POVI woke up to my mom's call. I hadn't heard from her in a while. Then again, I hadn't exactly been making much effort to call either."Hi, Mom.""Hi, sweetie. How are you doing?"I sat up slowly and pushed my hair out of my face. Morning sunlight spilled through the gap in my curtains, painting warm streaks across my bedroom floor."I'm fine. How about you?""I'm all good. Actually..." Her voice softened. "I haven't seen you in a while. I was hoping you could come home this weekend for dinner."I closed my eyes briefly. I didn't want to. Going back home always reminded me of everything wrong with our family. The cracks. The tension. The things nobody talked about but everyone felt.It was suffocating. But this was Mom's fourth invitation in a row. I couldn't keep saying no."Oh, yeah. Sure. I'd love that, Mom."A relieved breath escaped her. "Oh my... thank you." Then she hesitated. "Do you think Mason can join us?"I groaned internally. "Mom, no.""What do you mean no?""W

Chapter Twenty-Nine

Cole's POVThis was my first hackathon in a while, and I was enjoying every second of it. For the next few hours, the outside world didn't matter. No fake relationship. No Centennial Gala.Just code. Lines of code that demanded complete concentration.The annual department hackathon was one of the few events I genuinely looked forward to. To keep students from forming exclusive teams and leaving others out, the department always assigned groups through a ballot system.Or, as Tyler liked to call it, Santa's Hat.My team consisted of two first-year students, a third-year student, Marcus, Emelia, and me. Of course."Fancy being on the same team as you, Cole," Marcus drawled from across the table.I glanced up briefly. Marcus was the second-best student in the department. Or at least he had been before Emelia returned. Now the rankings were considerably less certain.Marcus and I weren't enemies. We also weren't friends. We respected each other academically and ignored each other socially

Chapter Thirty

Riley's POVOkay, what in theatre's name was going on?Cole pulled away from me, and for once, his usual stoic expression had been replaced by something softer. His eyes looked almost glassy, holding emotions I didn't dare try to name."Come on now, honey cub. You see your girlfriend every day. You haven't seen me in months. I believe I deserve a hug too."The woman spoke teasingly. Cole let out a sigh, but there was an unmistakable smile on his face as he stepped toward her and wrapped his arms around her. Uhhh? My gaze bounced between Cole, the woman, and then Tyler, who came sprinting toward us."Mommm!"He crashed into the hug immediately, nearly knocking all three of them over. The woman laughed, warm and genuine, as she held both her sons close. And suddenly it clicked. The reason she had looked so familiar. The smile, the eyes.The scene in front of me was undeniably beautiful, but something sharp tugged at my chest. I wished I had half their excitement for the dinner waiting f

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