Chapter 5 5

Natalie

Sleep never came easily after nights like that. Lying in bed, I stared at my ceiling, replaying every second of Jason's party in my head. The way his hand brushed against mine, the heat of his presence beside me, the way his eyes lingered just a little too long. This was supposed to be simple- A mutually beneficial arrangement. Nothing about it felt simple anymore. My phone vibrated on my nightstand.

Jason: Tomorrow. Lunch. My place.

No question. Just a statement.

Annoyance prickled under my skin. He always did this- told, never asked.

Me: What if I have plans?

Seconds later, my screen lit up again.

Jason: You don't.

I groaned, throwing my phone onto the bed.

Unfortunately, he wasn't wrong.

Morning came too soon, and my mood hadn't improved.

Campus was quieter than usual, the Monday slump evident in every tired student shuffling to class. I kept my head down, focusing on the path ahead.

Emma appeared at my side before I even realized she was there.

"You're avoiding me," she accused, falling into step with me.

"I'm not."

"You are." She crossed her arms. "You left the party without saying goodbye."

I sighed. "I wasn't in the mood for small talk."

Emma shot me a look. "Wasn't in the mood? Or didn't want to admit that you and Jason are actually kind of... believable?"

Heat crept up my neck. "It's an act."

"Uh-huh."

Her skepticism was infuriating.

"I have class," I muttered, speeding up.

Emma let out a dramatic sigh but didn't push further. She didn't have to. The doubt was already planted.

Jason

Natalie was late. I checked my phone again. No messages... Typical.

She was the only person who had the nerve to keep me waiting.

When she finally showed up, she looked annoyed.

"Do you always expect people to just drop everything when you snap your fingers?"

I smirked. "Most people don't keep me waiting."

She rolled her eyes and stepped inside, brushing past me. "Must be nice."

The sarcasm didn't go unnoticed. Natalie wasn't like the other girls I'd dated-if you could even call it that. She didn't fall over herself to impress me. She challenged me, pushed back, made me work for every reaction. It was irritating... And addictive.

"Relax," I said, closing the door. "I got food."

Her eyebrows lifted. "You ordered food."

I shrugged. "Same thing."

She didn't argue, just sat down and grabbed a slice of pizza. Silence stretched between us. For once, it wasn't uncomfortable.

After a few minutes, she finally spoke. "So what's the real reason you dragged me here?"

"Maybe I just wanted to see you."

She shot me a dry look. "Try again."

Damn.

I leaned back in my chair, watching her carefully. "People are still talking."

She hesitated. "And?"

"And we have to sell it."

She exhaled slowly. "Right. The fake relationship."

Something about the way she said it made my chest tighten. She wanted to keep the lines clear. I wasn't sure I did.

Natalie

Jason had a way of looking at people that made them feel like they were the only thing in the world worth his attention. It was infuriating. Especially when I caught myself staring back.

"What exactly do you want me to do?" I asked, trying to keep my voice neutral.

Jason smirked. "Be convincing."

"People already believe it."

"Not enough."

I frowned. "Why do you even care? You're Jason Carter. The entire school already worships you."

His expression flickered for a split second-so fast I almost missed it. Then the smirk was back. "Maybe I just like having you around."

My stomach flipped. I hated that he could do that. Hated that I couldn't tell if he was playing a role or if there was something real behind his words.

He leaned in slightly, voice dropping lower. "Tell me, Natalie, do you believe it?"

Every nerve in my body went on high alert. He was too close... Too confident... Too dangerous. I needed to shut this down before I lost control of the narrative.

"Does it matter?" I shot back.

Jason studied me, then grinned. "Guess not."

The moment broke, but the tension stayed. Neither of us was playing fair anymore.

Jason

Natalie thought she had me figured out. She was wrong. The whole point of this arrangement was to make people believe it. So why did I suddenly care whether she did?

I leaned against the counter, watching her pick at her pizza.

"You're thinking too hard," I said.

She blinked. "Excuse me?"

"You do this thing where you overanalyze everything. It's kind of cute, actually."

Her cheeks darkened. "I do not overanalyze."

I chuckled. "If you say so."

She muttered something under her breath, but I didn't push. For now. Instead, I grabbed my phone and pulled up Instagram.

"Natalie," I said, holding up the screen. "Smile."

Her eyes widened. "Wait, wha-"

Too late. I snapped the photo, capturing her mid-protest... Perfect!

"Jason!" she hissed. "Delete that."

I grinned and posted it. "Nope."

Her phone vibrated almost immediately.

She glanced at the screen, eyes narrowing. "You tagged me?"

"Obviously."

She groaned. "You're impossible."

"Impossible, but effective," I said smugly.

Her phone kept buzzing. The world believed it. Now the real question was- did we?

Natalie

The picture spread faster than I expected. By the time I made it back to my dorm, my notifications were flooded. Emma's name popped up first.

Emma: OMG. You and Jason. AGAIN?!

I groaned and threw my phone onto my bed. This was getting out of control. Jason was enjoying this way too much. I needed boundaries. Before I could talk myself out of it, I grabbed my phone and typed out a message.

Me: We need to talk.

His response was immediate.

Jason: Finally admitting you can't resist me?

I rolled my eyes.

Me: I'm serious.

Jason: So am I.

My heart did that stupid thing where it skipped a beat. This was fake. It had to be. Because if it wasn't... I was in trouble.

Jason

Natalie was slipping. She wanted to keep things clear, keep it fake. But every time she looked at me like that-like she wasn't sure if she wanted to fight me or kiss me-I knew we were past the point of no return. She just didn't know it yet. But she would... Soon... And when that happened?

Neither of us would be able to pretend anymore.