CHAPTER 3

AVA

I had made exactly zero progress.

Professor Caleb's lecture had ended twenty minutes ago, yet the words on my notebook looked like they belonged to someone else.

My pen hovered over the page.

Nothing.

Absolutely nothing had registered.

Not a single sentence.

Every time I tried to focus, my mind drifted back to the contract sitting inside my backpack.

Six figures.

Mom.

The medication.

Liam Hayes.

I groaned quietly and dropped my forehead onto the desk.

"What died?"

I looked up to find my best friend, Emily, staring at me with narrowed eyes.

"You look like you've been hit by a truck."

"If only it were that simple."

She frowned.

"Are you still thinking about yesterday?"

I forced a smile.

"You saw?"

"The whole university saw. Are you kidding me?

Of course they did.

By now the confrontation had probably spread across every social media platform on campus.

"Forget Nic," Emily said, linking her arm through mine as we walked toward the exit. "He's an idiot."

I laughed weakly. "I'll try."

"Meanwhile, tell me about Liam Hayes. That save was really hot."

I froze. I had forgotten about the fact that Liam Hayes had literally called me his girlfriend on national TV live.

The moment we stepped outside...

Every conversation around us suddenly stopped.

Emily frowned.

"Why is everyone staring?"

I followed their gaze.

Parked directly in front of the arts building was a matte-black Porsche.

A very expensive one. A familiar one.

Leaning casually against it with sunglasses on...

Was Liam Hayes.

The second he spotted me...

He smiled.

Then he pushed himself off the car.

"I was beginning to think you'd stand me up."

Every phone on campus suddenly pointed in our direction.

"I... I was going to call. I just..."

"Needed more time, my love?" He asked, whispering in my ear. A shiver ran down my spine as his breath fanned my ear.

It didn't help that we had an entire audience.

"Something like that."

He nodded and surprisingly didn't seem all that upset.

"How about we talk somewhere more private?" He asked, side-eyeing the audience.

"I would love that." I said a little too fast. Anything to get out of this stage I didn't sign up for.

"Apologies, Emily." He looked up at my friend beside me. "...but I'm going to steal my girlfriend for a second."

"Of course, take her. You don't even have to bring her back." Emily joked.

Liam laughed, and I swear he became even more handsome.

Liam gave me his jacket and made a show of kissing my forehead before opening his car door for me and helping me in. Then immediately drove us somewhere quiet.

"So, what's the verdict?" He asked, finally parking somewhere private on campus.

I stared at him for a long moment, questioning whether saying yes was a good idea.

On one hand, I needed his money; on the other hand, he was asking me to make enemies with his ex-girlfriend, who was equally from an affluent family as he.

It was a tough decision.

"I have a few questions."

"Go ahead."

"If I were to say yes to this, can you guarantee I don't get hurt in the process?"

I hated the fact that I was even considering it...but the truth was, I was tired of feeling like everyone else got to decide what happened to me.

Nic had decided what our relationship meant to him; he had made it clear that I was nothing to him.

My eyes moved swiftly, and I saw the students in that arena; they already decided what I was.

The embarrassed girlfriend, the pathetic girl who had been cheated on in front of thousands of people.

I could already imagine the whispers that would follow me around campus. If I walked away from Liam now, that was all I would be, a laughing stock! I refused to accept that as my reality, and right now, I didn't want to be rescued or to become someone's pity project.

I don't know why Liam Hayes suddenly decided to do this, but if I agreed to this, it had to be because I chose to and not because Liam Hayes had decided to save me.

Not because the world had already turned me into a joke.

But because I wanted to take control of my own life again.

He laughed. "And who would hurt you?"

"Your ex?"

He frowned. "She'll probably try. She is competitive and vindictive, and she hates losing. But if you agree to this, you're under my protection. Nobody touches you without dealing with me first."

He said it with such certainty that it caught me off guard. Not because I believed him. I didn't. But because nobody had ever spoken to me like that before. Not even Nic.

For one stupid second, I almost wanted to believe him, but then I quickly came back to reality and looked away from him, folding my arms.

"Sounds touching."

His eyebrow lifted. "Touching?"

I nodded. "Yeah. Very heroic."

The corner of his mouth twitched.

"I sense sarcasm."

"You should."

A brief silence settled between us.

Then I looked back at him.

"How do I know you're protecting me and not the deal?"

That question alone wiped the smile from his face, and for the first time in that conversation, the Liam I know didn't answer immediately.

He hesitated a little; my stomach tightened.

Interesting!

"So?" I pressed.

His jaw flexed.

"I'm protecting the deal."

The answer came a little too late.

A little too carefully.

Like he'd needed a second to decide what he wanted to say.

I wasn't sure why, but that bothered me.

"We're talking about a contract, Ava," he continued. "Of course I'm protecting the deal."

Of course, it's just the contract backing up the protection...nothing more.

I lowered my gaze and nodded slowly.

That's all this was, and honestly, that was probably for the best.

Trusting Liam Hayes after everything that had happened with Nic would be unbelievably stupid.

At least until I knew who he really was.

Anything else?

"Yes. As tempting as this sounds, I can't afford scandal. One complaint or accusation and I lose my scholarship. If I lose that... I lost everything."

"That's right, you play chess, right?"

"Yeah. It's how I got a full ride. How do you know?"

"I've seen you once or twice. Plus, who could forget the girl that fainted after losing last year?"

I cringed hard. "That was not my best moment."

"I'd say." He smiled. Then suddenly got serious.

"As for your scholarship, it won't be touched. If anyone targets you because of me, my legal team handles it. If campus missions get out of hand, my PR team handles it. You won't be fighting this alone."

"I'm not sure what to say."

"A yes would be a good start." He smiled.

It would, but it was too much. There were so many things that were against my favor. It didn't help that Liam was a known player.

"Come on, say yes; you know you want to. You're not only getting paid for this; you also get to hang out with the most eligible bachelor there is."

"Cocky much?"

"Oh, it's definitely much," he winked.

I blushed, looking away quickly.

His charisma was infectious and annoying at the same time.

"Look, I don't want to force you into anything but...you know what, fuck it? Your mom is sick, right? How much does your mother's medication cost every month?"

I stiffened.

"Excuse me? How the hell do you know about my mother?"

"Because before I asked you to trust me, I made sure I knew who you were."

Then...

"I can pay for every treatment she needs."

"Stop, stop. Just stop. Why do you think it's okay to do that?" I demanded, gripping either side of the chair.

"What?"

"Spying on my life."

"Well, I needed to know your background."

"And you couldn't ask me?"

"Why are you so upset about this?"

"Why am I so upset? You violated my privacy!"

"I don't see it that way. I needed the information, so I got it."

"Oh my God, you're insane, and thank you for making my answer so much easier. No, I won't be doing this insanity with you!"

With that, I tried to open the door, but it wouldn't budge.

"Open the door." I said in a cold voice.

"Are you serious?" He asked, his brows furrowed.

I didn't say anything; I just gave him a cold stare.

"Wait. I am sorry. I don't know what I did."

"And that's just the point. You don't get it. We are so worlds apart that you don't even realize how insane it is to run a background check on someone. It's invasive."

"Okay. I understand, and I'm sorry."

"You know what the worst part is? You genuinely don't see anything wrong with it."

He scratched his head.

"Look, Bennett, I'm not asking you to marry me; I just need your help. It's more like a job, and I promise I won't do any more of this invasive stuff again. I didn't realize it would make you so uncomfortable."

I stared at him for so long, searching his eyes before sighing.

I knew I should say no, but my mom... I couldn't say no to an opportunity like this.

*I don't know what to say," I admitted.

"Yes."

"No, this is too much. I don't know..."

"I think you do, Ava. You just need to trust me. I promise I won't be weird."

I searched his eyes, unsure of what I was looking for. Reassurance?

He seemed genuine enough, but that's probably how he played so many women. Not that he would play me since we weren't really together.

Gah! This was tough.

I let out a long sigh.

Here goes nothing.

I looked down at the contract.

Only six months of pretending, cameras, scandals, and being with Liam Hayes.

Six months of pretending.

It was insane.

But for the first time since I had walked into that arena, I wasn't reacting to something someone else had done to me.

I was making my own decision.

"Okay, then. I will be your fake girlfriend, Liam Hayes."

A huge grin appeared on his face, and my heart skipped several beats at how much more handsome he became from it.

I stretched out my hands for a handshake, and he took it, and instead of shaking it, he kissed the back of my hand.

"I am honored to be your fake boyfriend," he said, his eyes locked with mine.

My breath caught and my face heated up at the intimate moment.

What had I got myself into?