“You must be so good at socializing that you forget other things matter.” I lift my book. “Oh, things like graduating from college.”
His smirk widens, and I can see he’s taking this as a challenge. Is my insistence… kind of a kink for him?
“Now, where’s your room? Let’s get started,” I add, keeping my voice calm.
He leads the way to his room, and I follow, my eyes scanning the space as I enter. Posters of the Chicago Blackhawks cover the walls, along with a few other players I recognize from Justin’s room. Surprisingly, it’s cleaner than I expected, until my gaze lands on his bed.
Bile rises in my throat. The sheets are scattered, and two empty condom wrappers lie on the floor.
I bolt out, clutching my books, heat flooding my face. He follows, a look of amused surprise on his face, but I don’t slow down.
“We’ll just read here,” I say, refusing to meet his eyes. I drop my books on the table, my hand aching from carrying them too long.
Braydon prowls closer, shrinking the air between us “Why’d you run like that?” He asks. “Can’t handle being in the same room with me, Peach?”
That damn nickname again. My patience frays. “You should clean up your room after s*x, especially if you’ve got company. It’s called decency. Maybe you’ve heard of it, though clearly, you haven’t.”
His fingers suddenly tilt my jaw, forcing my eyes to his. “Are you sure that’s the only reason? You know, I can make time for you.”
That’s it. I’ve had enough. Heat floods my chest as I snatch my books off the table and storm toward the door. “Find someone else!” I yell.
He catches my arm, trying to stop me, but I yank hard against his grip. I will not sit through two hours of his shameless flirting, not today. Not after the day I’ve had.
“Hey, I’m sorry, okay?” Braydon’s voice softens as he pleads.
“Get your hands off me.” I twist, trying to shake him loose.
“I’ll behave, alright?” he rushes out. “I’ll put on a shirt, stop calling you Peach, never say another word you don’t like. Just, please, tutor me. I’m desperate.”
I whirl around, ready to snap that he doesn’t act desperate enough, when my pocket starts buzzing nonstop. With a huff, I yank my phone out, half-expecting one of my study group members.
But no, it’s Bryan.
My stomach knots as I click the notification. Instead of apologies like I imagined for a second, my screen is filled with vile messages from him. My throat burns as my eyes lock on one message that makes the rest blur away.
BRYAN: Return my baseball jacket. My new girl wants it.
Everything else fades as hot anger sears through me. I read the line twice, but the words don’t change. He wants me to return his baseball jacket? And not just that, he already has a new girl, less than twelve hours after we broke up. My jaw clenches so tight it aches. He’s doing this to rile me up, and goddamn, it’s working. If I don’t hit back, he wins.
The memory of him sneering that I’d never find someone better than him scorches me deeply.
“Hey…” A tap on my shoulder jolts me, and Braydon’s voice snaps me out of my thoughts. “Did you hear a word I said? I said I’ll do anything you want. Anything.”
My head jerks toward him, and it takes a moment to recollect myself, his last word lingering in my mind.
Anything you want.
The words replay like a chant, and suddenly my mind is crawling with ideas that shouldn’t be there. My gaze rakes down his frame and back up, and he catches it, brows pulling together in confusion.
I shouldn’t even be thinking about it, but the thought is so damn tempting. Braydon Cooper, the campus golden boy and star forward of the hockey team. He’s the guy girls would do anything to be seen with, and guys hate him because he can take their girlfriends with a smile.
He might be a player, but everyone knows he’s picky. Ruthlessly picky. So much so that girls brag if they even make it into his bed. Just being seen with him is enough to boost your social status overnight. You get invitations to events just because you’ve caught the eye of Braydon Cooper.
And right now, he’s standing in front of me, saying anything I want.
He’s perfect for my revenge plan. Not just because of who he is, but because he’s Bryan’s brother. What better way to grind Bryan’s inflated ego to dust than to show him his so-called replaceable ex is on the arm of his hotter and better brother?
I turn to face Braydon fully, heat prickling under my skin.
“You’ll do anything?” I ask, watching him closely.
He studies me, uncertainty flickering in his eyes for the first time since I walked in. Still, he nods. “Yeah.”
I take a slow breath, steadying the heat in my voice. “Then here’s the deal. I’ll tutor you, and not just enough for you to pass. You’ll ace your classes, every single one of them, with at least a B. That’s my part.”
He narrows his eyes, waiting. “And yours?”
“In return,” I say, “you’ll use your charm, your connections, your golden-boy reputation to pursue me publicly. We’ll build a high-profile relationship and everyone will see us.”
KATY’S POV
“What?” Braydon stares at me like I’ve just sprouted two heads.
“I said that-“
“Yeah, I got you.” He cuts in, stepping closer as if to read my face better. “You’re asking me to play boyfriend?”
I lick my lips before answering, my pulse hammering. “Yes.”
He scoffs, shaking his head in disbelief. “Sorry to disappoint you, Peach, but dating isn’t my thing. Anything but that.”
The sting hurts more than I expected, disappointment slicing through me. I exhale slowly, biting my lip.
I’ve heard his no-dating rule before, but dismissed it as just another line to make himself more desirable. But now… the way he shuts me down makes me wonder if he’s actually serious enough to walk away from an offer like this.
I clear my throat, forcing my voice to stay steady. “Think about it. Midterms are in four weeks, and it’s a major part of our final grade. If you want to pass, you need time with me, and that’s a month to prepare. This is a win-win deal.”
“Uh-uh.” He flicks his hand. “I’ll pass. There has to be something else you want. I mean…” His smirk resurfaces. “I didn’t take you for one of my fangirls.”
I roll my eyes, glaring at him. “I’m not interested in you. And I’ve never harbored some secret crush on you.”
“Really?” He cuts in, his tone edged with disbelief. “So why? I mean… aren’t you still with Bryan or something?”
“You should’ve remembered that before flirting with me,” I snap back. My chest heaves once, and I force myself to calm. It takes everything in me to push out the words. “Bryan and I broke up.”
His face doesn’t change, not even a hint of sympathy. He also doesn’t look like he’s about to say an empty sorry to hear that. Instead, he c***s an eyebrow. “So what? Trying to use me as your rebound?”
The urge to scream at him burns in my throat, but I bite it back. I’m negotiating, and I need this deal. Swallowing hard feels like impaling myself as I admit the truth. “He cheated on me.”
That gets him. His expression shifts, the teasing dropping from his face. His eyes darken, a flash of anger sparking there. “That son of a bitch.”
“It’s fine,” I choke out, though it’s not. “I just… I want to prove him wrong. He said I can’t find someone better than him. But-” I shrug, forcing the resignation into my voice. “I guess your rule is your rule.”
I turn, feigning surrender, pretending to walk away even though part of me is begging for him to stop me.
“Wait!” His voice rings out just as my hand grazes the door. My lips twitch into a smile, but I force it down, schooling my face into something neutral as I turn back to him.
Braydon drags a hand through his hair, and I know he’s thinking. And honestly, I don’t blame him. I already know how explosive it’ll be once the news spreads. Justin will definitely flip out, and everyone will have their eyes glued to my life like it’s their favorite show. Frankly, the only good thing to come out of this is that Bryan will absolutely lose his s**t.
“You’ll really help me ace my courses?” he finally asks, his gaze locking with mine.
I nod. “Yeah. But that depends on how convincing you are as my boyfriend.”
His brow furrows. “What does that even mean?”
“It means people have to believe we’re dating,” I say evenly.
A smirk tugs at his lips. “That’s gonna be a hard sell, considering my track record.”
I suck in a breath, my patience thinning. “Do you really want to graduate, or not?”
He nods his head, shooting me a mock glare. “You’re so annoying.”
“Then do we have a deal?” I press, refusing to back down.
He stays quiet, the silence stretching long enough for me to second-guess everything. Then he sighs. “We’ve got a deal.”
New Book: Back Home to Marry Off Myself
Loredana’s father left the family for his mistress, leaving them to fend for themselves abroad. When life was at its toughest, her father showed up with “good news” after 8 years of absence: To marry off Loredana to a paralyzed son of the wealthy Mendelsohn family.
Leave a Reply