Chapter 3 3

Natalie

Mornings were supposed to be quiet. Peaceful. A time to enjoy coffee without interruptions. Instead, my phone wouldn't stop buzzing. I groggily reached for it, squinting at the notifications lighting up my screen. A dozen messages. Several from numbers I didn't recognize. My stomach tightened as I tapped on the first one.

Emma: OMG, since when are you dating Jason Carter???

The next one wasn't much different.

Maya: Did I just see a post of you at the game last night? With Carter's arm around you?

My heart dropped. What post?

Throwing off the blankets, I sat up and opened Instagram. The answer hit me immediately.

A picture. Jason, grinning with his arm slung over my shoulder at the arena. Someone must have taken it right before the game.

The caption? "Carter's got a girl. Didn't see that coming."

Great... Scrolling through the comments only made it worse. Who is she?

That girl doesn't look like Jason's type. This won't last. Is she serious?

The pressure settled in my chest, unfamiliar and suffocating. This was exactly what I wanted to avoid-attention, speculation, people prying into something that wasn't even real. A knock sounded at my door, making me nearly drop my phone.

"Open up, Pierce," Jason's voice called from the other side.

Of course, he wouldn't be bothered by this. Dragging myself out of bed, I unlocked the door and found him standing there, coffee in one hand, his ever-present smirk in place.

"Good morning, girlfriend," he teased, holding out the cup.

I took it without a word, narrowing my eyes. "Why are you here?"

"You didn't answer my texts," he said, pushing past me into the room. "Figured you were freaking out."

The fact that he knew made my jaw tighten. "I'm not freaking out."

Jason raised an eyebrow. "So you didn't see the post?"

My silence was answer enough. He sat on the edge of my desk, completely unbothered. "It's not a big deal."

"Maybe not to you," I shot back. "You like attention. I don't."

His smirk softened into something almost amused. "Then why agree to this?"

I hated that he had a point. Sighing, I dropped onto my bed, clutching the coffee like it was my only source of sanity. "I just... didn't expect people to care this much."

Jason tilted his head, studying me. "It'll blow over."

"That's easy for you to say," I muttered. "You're used to it."

He didn't argue. Instead, he pulled out his phone, scrolling casually before glancing at me again. "We need to make it look real."

I frowned. "Isn't that what last night was for?"

"Yeah, but now people are paying attention. We can't just disappear after one game."

The thought of having to actively maintain this illusion made my head ache. Jason, on the other hand, looked like he was having the time of his life.

"There's a party this weekend," he continued. "We should go."

My stomach clenched. "I don't do parties."

"You do now."

I gave him a flat look. "I hate you."

His grin widened. "No, you don't."

Jason

Convincing Natalie to go to the party wasn't easy, but eventually, she agreed. Begrudgingly.

She showed up looking like she didn't want to be there, arms crossed over a simple black dress, her expression one of pure discomfort.

"Try to look like you're not being held hostage," I said, handing her a drink.

She rolled her eyes, but some of the tension in her shoulders eased. "What exactly are we supposed to do here?"

"Look like a couple."

She sipped her drink, scanning the crowded room. "Do couples normally go to opposite sides of the party and pretend they don't know each other?"

I smirked. "Not usually."

Natalie wasn't the party type. That much was obvious. But she was here, and that was enough. People were already watching, whispering. More than a few girls shot her curious glances. Some of them looked surprised. Others? Not so much.

A few minutes later, I spotted Ava making her way over. She wasn't exactly subtle about it.

"Jason," she greeted, her eyes flicking to Natalie. "And... girlfriend."

Natalie's grip tightened on her cup, but she forced a polite smile. "It's Natalie."

Ava hummed, unimpressed. "Right."

The air between them turned sharp. I wrapped an arm around Natalie's waist, pulling her closer. "Something you need, Ava?"

She tilted her head. "Just making conversation. You're not usually the relationship type."

Natalie stiffened. "Maybe he just hadn't met the right person before."

Ava's lips curled in something between amusement and skepticism. "Maybe."

She didn't believe it... I didn't care.

"Let's go," I murmured to Natalie, steering her away before Ava could dig deeper.

The second we were out of earshot, Natalie exhaled sharply. "I don't like her."

I grinned. "Welcome to the club."

The night dragged on, but we did what we came to do-played the part, stayed in sight, made sure people saw us together. By the time we left, Natalie looked exhausted.

"You survived," I teased, holding the door open as we stepped into the cool night air.

She shot me a look. "Barely."

I chuckled, stuffing my hands in my pockets. "Could've been worse."

She huffed. "I hate that I have to do this."

A beat of silence stretched between us before she spoke again, softer this time. "But... thank you. For not making it harder than it already is."

That was unexpected. I glanced at her, watching the way the streetlights cast soft shadows across her face.

"You're welcome," I said.

For the first time since we started this, it didn't feel like a game. And that was dangerous.