Chapter 1 Fake dating

Lina's POV

I sauntered down the stairs, humming a song when my eyes twitched at the crowd pulled close to my locker, cheering and chanting.

My feet halted as I glanced up, my eyes melting into his when our gaze locked, warmth pooled underneath his, the gentle thud of my heart against my rib cage as it pounded had me running a hand over my chest.

He tore his gaze off, peering at whoever he was standing with, I was lost in my thoughts when a hand hook itself around me, pulling me with her.

" Are you just going to stand here? Aren't you going to watch the biggest proposal of all history?" Emma, my best friend asked.

She pulled me alongside her, dragging me feets ahead as I watched.

Josh stood, eyes on Emily, the cheerleader as she handed him a paper, before chewing on her lips nervously, while twirling a strand of her hair.

My eyes watered as I took in what was happening, Josh was my brother's best friend and my secret crush, but I couldn't bring myself to tell him about it.

He had told me severally that he saw me as his sister and nothing more when I had jokingly brought up the topic.

"Say yes, say yes, say yes..." the crowd cheered as hands jammed together.

I pivoted my gaze around, dread tore through me because I knew it was going to be the same as always, he was always going to give in.

My wolf writhed in pain as I forced myself out, I had my feet stuck at the door when he spoke up.

" I have someone I love, Emily" he uttered, cheers ran down with voices whispering about.

I flipped my head around, glancing at him when a hand ruffled my hair, stealing my attention.

" Is there a reason why you are doing this?" I questioned Max who wrapped a hand around my shoulders, taking in my appearance.

" You look like shit, you left your breakfast untouched, is there a reason why?"

I chewed on my lips, trying to hide the makeshift card I had made. I had finally decided to place it in Josh's locker today, damn it all and let it all go, but I bet it was all gone now.

My hands jabbed him on the arm.

" Your friend would need you, can you tell him to stop doing this all the time? This is a school for Selena's sake, and not his pack, some of us actually want to learn"

"I asked you a question, Lina, why did you leave your food untouched? Mum and dad are worried, your barely sleep, barely go outing anymore, and you are a shadow of yourself"

I let out a sigh, wondering what exactly was keeping Josh still.

"How about we get to know ourselves better first?" His velvety smooth voice rumbled across the hall at me.

"A date or two and who knows?" He leaned against her ear, whispering words into it while locking gaze with me.

I broke it off, pushing against the crowd before breaking into a race, my wolf purred as I did but I couldn't stop, wasn't able to.

" Where the hell do you think you are going?" My brother Max voice thundered behind me as I sprinted, not giving a fuck about whatever it was he was going to say.

The tears slipped down, in torrents as my feet crushed the leaves underneath my feet, plopping on the bench. I dragged in gasps of breath, tapping on my chest at how futile it was.

If I had a chance, I would have torn my heart and clamp down this feeling that had grown in me, it wasn't like I hadn't tried, I had, especially when I knew he didn't like me as well, I had tried to kill mine, but I just couldn't.

It kept aggravating.

My hands ran across my eyes, pushing off the streak of tears when I noticed a shadow lurking around me.

"Lina.." a voice drawled, flickering my gaze at him, I tried to put a name to the face.

His hands weaved through his dark hair, one that glimmered against the ray that filtered down.

" It's Darren"

" Darren?"

" We took a class together, and I thought you would recognize me,I..." his eyes went gloomy at me.

" Didn't know you wouldn't"

I pushed myself up, glancing at him. He had dark hair that fell slightly over his shoulders, nose that went as high as anyone could imagine and orbs honey brown just a shade darker than Josh's.

" Oh, I don't really have..."

My words caught in my throat when he shoved a box in my arms, before chewing on his chapped lips nervously.

"I don't really know if this is the right time to do this but..." he let out a peal of rustic cackle.

" I would love to take you on a date, anywhere you want is fine by me, and..."

"Fuck off" a hand shoved him aside, pushing him against the barricaded wall.

"What exactly do you think you are doing?" Josh roared as he asked. His breath ran off as his gaze roamed off from Darren to me.

"Why should I be the one fucking off?" Darren pushed himself off the wall, his steps drawing closer until he had his eyes on Josh.

" Excuse me?"

He scoffed. " Why should I be the one to fuck off? The last I checked,you have no right to say words like that especially when you aren't related to her and..."

Josh had his fist clenched as he demanded. " Repeat what you just said," he dared.

That was it. I had to do something before this went off the wrong way.

" Stop!" I summoned up the strength in me as I tried to utter.

" Please stop" my eyes hovered between them as I let out a plea.

" Darren, I will take you up on that date, and Josh, what exactly are you here for?"

Josh's eyes grew stormy as he uttered. "You won't"

Darren's lips curled into a smile as he bobbed his head before his footstep receded.

"What exactly do you think you are doing? A date? With him?"

I let out a cackle at his words, why was he acting this way when he didn't even care? Why was he here in the first place?

" What do you want! Why are you here!"

He let out a breather, weaving his hands through his hair.

" Max tried to find you after you broke off in a race, he said you aren't eating, you haven't been talking and you have been blank, what exactly is wrong with you?"

" Why do you care?"

I knew what it was going to be, I was his best friend's sister and so, it was his right to look after me, make sure I wasn't hurt, but why couldn't he see? Why couldn't he see what it was that I wanted?

"Lina...Max..."

I exhaled, chewing on my lips.

" Can you just let me be? I am tired of you lurking around me, I want to think, I want to feel...I want to..." I bit down the train of words that attempted to sneak out.

" Stop pursuing every one who wants me away, stop trying to make it look like no one is worthy of me, I am sick of it"

" I am trying to protect you, they don't deserve you, not him..." his hands poked into the direction Darren had walked off in.

" No one does"

" I am going to go on that date, and you aren't going to tell me what to do!"

I gazed at his eyes, those honey brown orbs that always had me short of words to say, before sauntering off, I had barely taken steps when he said;

" Then let's do it" my feet halted, as I flipped my head around.

" Do what?"

" Fake dating, this experience you want, let's do it"