Chapter 4 4

Natalie

Monday mornings were the worst... The moment I stepped onto campus, I felt the weight of a dozen stares pressing against me. The post about Jason and me hadn't died down over the weekend. If anything, it had gained more traction.

People weren't just watching; they were whispering.

Sliding my sunglasses higher on my nose, I gripped my books tighter and quickened my pace toward the lecture hall. The last thing I wanted was an interrogation before my first class. A familiar voice called my name before I could make it inside.

Emma caught up to me, eyes practically glowing with curiosity. "So, are you going to explain?"

My stomach twisted. "Explain what?"

She gave me a look. "You and Jason Carter? Seriously? I thought you didn't even like him."

Technically, that was still true. But I couldn't exactly tell her the truth.

Forcing a casual shrug, I tried to sound indifferent. "Things change."

Emma narrowed her eyes. "He's never been in a real relationship before."

The reminder settled uneasily in my chest. "Maybe he just didn't want one until now."

She didn't look convinced. Before she could press further, I pushed open the lecture hall doors and found a seat near the back. Emma slid in beside me, still watching me like I was some kind of puzzle she couldn't figure out.

Jason strolled in minutes later, like he had all the time in the world. He spotted me immediately, smirked, and made his way over. Instead of taking his usual spot with his teammates, he sat next to me.

The entire room seemed to shift in response. More whispering. More stares. Emma raised her eyebrows, then leaned in to whisper, "If this is real, then prove it."

The challenge sat heavy between us. Jason must have overheard because his hand found mine under the desk, fingers lacing through mine like it was second nature.

My breath hitched. He didn't even look at me, just kept his attention on the professor as if holding my hand meant nothing.

For him, maybe it didn't... For me?

I wasn't sure anymore.

Jason

People thought I didn't care. Most of the time, they were right. This, though? This was starting to feel different.

I could still feel Natalie's hand in mine, the way her fingers tensed before she forced herself to relax. The way her breath hitched, just for a second. The game had rules. Keeping up appearances meant making things look real. But somewhere along the way, I stopped thinking about how it looked and started wondering why it mattered. Natalie had no idea.

She was too busy trying to avoid attention, pretending she wasn't affected. The problem was, I knew better. After class, she practically bolted from the room, Emma close behind. I watched her go, an unfamiliar tightness settling in my chest.

Logically, I knew this was temporary. A few weeks of playing pretend, and then we'd go back to being strangers. So why did the thought of that bother me?

Natalie

By the time I reached my dorm, my head was spinning. Emma had bombarded me with questions after class, demanding details I couldn't give. The rumors were spreading faster than I could control. The fake dating plan was supposed to be easy. Nothing about this felt easy anymore.

The worst part? Jason wasn't even struggling. He walked through campus like none of it mattered. Meanwhile, I felt like I was being dissected under a microscope.

My phone buzzed.

Jason: Party at my place tonight. Be there.

A frustrated sigh left my lips. Of course, there was another party. Another night of pretending. Another night of forcing myself to fit into his world. Still, I typed out a reply.

Me: Fine.

Jason's apartment was packed by the time I arrived. Music pulsed through the walls, and the smell of alcohol clung to the air. Pushing through the crowd, I searched for Jason.

I found him near the kitchen, laughing with a few of his teammates. His arm draped lazily over the back of a couch, drink in hand, looking like he owned the room.

The second his eyes met mine, his grin widened.

"Pierce," he called, waving me over. "You actually showed up."

He made it sound like a surprise, even though he was the one who told me to come.

I crossed my arms. "You didn't give me much of a choice."

Jason chuckled and leaned in, his voice lowering so only I could hear. "That's how relationships work, sweetheart. You gotta show up."

My stomach flipped at the way he said it. This was fake. I needed to remember that. Before I could say anything, Jason reached for my hand, pulling me onto the couch beside him.

His fingers brushed against my skin, a casual touch that shouldn't have sent heat rushing through me. His teammates eyed me curiously, but no one said anything.

Jason took a sip of his drink, his free hand still resting against mine. My pulse betrayed me. This was dangerous. I needed to get out before I started believing it was real.

Jason

Natalie looked like she wanted to be anywhere but here.

Her posture was stiff, her fingers tapping against the side of her drink like she was counting the seconds until she could leave.

"You know," I murmured, leaning in slightly, "you don't have to look so miserable."

Her eyes flicked to mine, guarded. "I'm not miserable."

I raised an eyebrow. "Could've fooled me."

She sighed, shifting slightly in her seat. "I'm not used to this."

I already knew that. Natalie wasn't built for the spotlight. She thrived in the background, in quiet spaces where no one questioned her. I was dragging her into something she never wanted. But she was still here. That had to mean something.

"You'll get used to it," I said casually.

Her gaze softened for a fraction of a second before she quickly looked away. We were playing a game. The problem was, I wasn't sure who was winning anymore.

Natalie

By the time I finally escaped Jason's party, my thoughts were a tangled mess.

Every interaction, every stolen glance, every touch that lingered a second too long-none of it felt fake. But it had to be. This wasn't real. Jason Carter didn't do real relationships. And I wasn't about to be the girl who thought she could change that.

Still, when my phone buzzed later that night, my stomach twisted at the sight of his name.

Jason: You okay?

I hesitated before responding.

Me: Yeah. Why?

Jason: You looked like you wanted to run.

That wasn't a lie.

Fingers hovered over the keyboard before I finally typed back.

Me: Maybe I did.

A pause.

Then:

Jason: You didn't.

My heart stuttered.

No, I hadn't.

And that scared me more than anything.