Chapter 4 A deal

Logan's POV

This was a bad idea.

No,scratch that. This was a dangerous idea.

And yet, here I was, walking into a house party with Ava Sinclair, the one girl on this damn whole campus who wasn't wrapped around my finger.

She wasn't supposed to be here. and she didn't want to be here.

But after our little negotiation in the library, after watching her hesitate before ultimately caving to my offer, I knew she'd show up.

And damn, if she didn't look completely out of place.

She wasn't dressed like the other girls,tight dresses, sky high heels, looking for attention. No, Ava wore ripped jeans and a fitted sweater, her hair in a ponytail, like she hadn't even thought twice about what to wear.

And yet, as I walked beside her, my eyes kept drifting to her.

Dangerous.

"You're sure about this?" she asked, arms crossed as she surveyed the party like she was searching for an emergency exit.

"Relax, nerd," I said, throwing an arm around her shoulder, grinning when she immediately stiffened. "It's just a party. Try not to overanalyze it."

Ava scoffed. "You make it sound like a science experiment."

I smirked. "Hey, you're the one who said you needed a part-time job. And guess what? I know people."

She eyed me suspiciously. "And this...." she gestured toward the chaos of the party..."is where I'm supposed to find one?"

I shrugged, grabbing a drink from the counter as I steered us further inside. "Maybe. You never know who you'll meet."

Ava let out a small, irritated sigh but followed me anyway.

The party was insane.

Music blasted through the massive house, people were already trashed, and the football team was, unsurprisingly, the center of attention.

As soon as we walked in, my teammates spotted me.

"Logan!" Aaron shouted, already holding a drink in each hand. "Finally, man. Thought you were gonna skip out on us."

"Yeah, yeah," I said, smirking as I gave them a nod.

Their eyes flicked to Ava, and Aaron's brows shot up.

"And you brought a guest?" he asked, looking thoroughly amused.

Ava shot me a glare, as if she just realized what walking into this party with me looked like.

"It's not like that," she said quickly, stepping away from me.

Aaron chuckled. "Right. Not like that. Got it."

I ignored him, taking a sip of my drink as my teammates went back to their usual antics flirting with girls, taking shots, and making bets they'd regret in the morning.

Ava, on the other hand, stood stiffly, arms crossed like she was waiting for someone to kick her out.

"You look like you're planning an escape route," I teased.

She shot me a look. "That's because I am."

I laughed. "Come on, nerd. Live a little."

"Stop calling me that," she muttered, but there was no real heat in her voice.

I grinned, leaning against the counter. "Fine. Ava."

For some reason, saying her name felt... different.

Like I actually liked saying it. Ava!

Dangerous.

I shook the thought away, turning my attention back to the party.

I shouldn't be focusing on her.

Not when my teammates were already watching.

Not when I had a bet to win. getting ava in my bed!! that was my purpose.

Somewhere between my second drink and my third round of messing with Ava, things got... blurry.

The music was louder. The lights were dimmer.

And Ava...somehow was still here.

She had loosened up just a little, letting Sophie drag her to the makeshift dance floor in the living room.

I wasn't supposed to be watching her.

But I was.

And that was my first mistake.

She was laughing at something Sophie said, shaking her head as she moved to the music, completely unaware that my eyes were on her.

I should have looked away.

I should have walked off, found some girl to flirt with, and stuck to the plan.

But instead, when Ava turned and locked eyes with me, I didn't look away.

And suddenly, I was moving.

One second, I was standing with my teammates.

The next, I was in front of her.

"Ava," I murmured.

She blinked, clearly surprised. "What are you..."

I didn't let her finish.

Because, in the blur of the party, in the heat of the moment, I did something really stupid.

I kissed her.

And worse...she kissed me back.

what the heck?!

For a second, nothing else existed.

Her lips were soft, her hands hesitantly gripping my jacket, and I swore I felt her shiver against me.

It was the kind of kiss that made the world tilt.

The kind that made my heart stutter in a way it shouldn't have.

The kind that...

No.

No.

I pulled away, breaking the moment before it could become something real.

Ava blinked up at me, eyes wide, lips parted in shock.

"What the hell was that?" she whispered.

I forced a smirk, shoving my hands in my pockets. "Relax, nerd. Just part of loosening up, remember?"

Her expression shifted like something in her had just snapped and suddenly, she was pushing past me.

"Enjoy the rest of your night, Logan," she muttered, disappearing through the crowd before I could stop her.

I cursed under my breath.

This was not part of the plan.

definitely not!!

The next day, I was in deep shit.

Not because of the kiss.

But because, despite the fact that it was supposed to mean nothing, I couldn't stop thinking about it.

I had planned to let it go. To act like it never happened.

But when I saw Ava the next morning, sitting at our usual library table, my body moved before my brain could stop it.

I dropped into the seat beside her, closer than usual, resting an arm over the back of her chair.

Ava stiffened. "What are you doing?"

I grinned. "Good morning to you too, sunshine."

She sighed, clearly unimpressed. "Logan..."

"You look cute today," I interrupted, just to watch her face flush.

Her jaw clenched. "I hate you."

"You say that," I mused, leaning in just enough to see her pupils dilate, "but you kissed me back."

Ava swallowed hard, looking anywhere but at me. "I was drunk."

I smirked. "So was I."

She huffed. "That doesn't mean anything."

"Maybe," I said, tilting my head. "But it makes me wonder..."

"Logan," a voice cut in.

I looked up to see Aaron and the rest of the guys standing nearby, watching with barely concealed amusement.

A reminder.

A warning.

I still had a bet to win.

Ava sighed, turning back to her laptop. "Are we studying or not?"

I hesitated for half a second.

Then, with a smirk, I leaned back in my chair.

"Of course, nerd," I said smoothly. "Whatever you want."

But as I watched her avoid my gaze, pretending like last night hadn't changed everything, I felt the first sting of guilt.

Dangerous.

Because if I wasn't careful, I might just forget that this was supposed to be a game.