Rules for fake Dating
1751 Words
Lena’s first rule was simple.
Do not fall for Kai Ryder.
Unfortunately, by Friday afternoon, she was already failing.
“This is ridiculous,” she muttered.
“You’ve said that six times in the last ten minutes.”
“Because it keeps becoming more ridiculous.”
Kai grinned from beside her as reporters snapped photos near the football field entrance. The university had apparently decided their “relationship” needed public appearances now.
Which explained why Lena was currently sitting beside Kai at an outdoor student charity event while cameras followed their every movement like vultures.
She hated cameras.
Kai, meanwhile, looked born for them.
“Smile,” he murmured under his breath.
“I am smiling.”
“You look like you’re planning a murder.”
“Maybe I am.”
His shoulder shook slightly with laughter.
The worst part?
Lena was starting to recognize the difference between Kai’s fake smiles and real ones.
The fake ones were easy — charming, confident, perfectly designed for attention.
But the real smiles were quieter.
Rare.
And somehow dangerous.
Because they made him look human.
A reporter approached their table eagerly. “Kai! Lena! Can we get a quick picture together?”
Before Lena could react, Kai slid an arm casually around her waist.
Her entire body froze.
Heat exploded across her face instantly.
The cameras flashed rapidly.
Kai leaned down slightly beside her ear.
“Relax, Princess,” he whispered. “You’re supposed to like me.”
“That’s the hardest acting job in history.”
“Wow. Brutal.”
Unfortunately, his hand remained on her waist.
Warm.
Steady.
Distracting.
Lena hated how aware she suddenly became of him.
The scent of rain and cologne.
The roughness of his fingers through the fabric of her sweater.
The fact that he was standing entirely too close.
“You’re blushing,” he murmured.
“I’m angry.”
“Sure you are.”
She elbowed him hard enough to make him laugh.
The reporters absolutely loved that.
More flashes exploded.
“Perfect!” one photographer shouted. “You two look amazing together!”
Lena nearly walked directly into traffic afterward.
—
By evening, their pictures were everywhere online.
Again.
Lena stared in horror at her phone while lying across her dorm bed.
“They edited hearts around us,” she whispered.
Ava looked delighted. “Honestly? You guys kind of look good together.”
“You’re fired as my best friend.”
“I’m serious.” Ava grabbed the phone dramatically. “Look at this one. The tension is insane.”
Lena tried not to look.
Failed immediately.
The picture showed Kai staring down at her while she glared back at him. Except instead of looking angry…
It looked intimate.
Very intimate.
Which was impossible because she absolutely did not feel butterflies every time Kai looked at her lately.
Absolutely not.
A notification suddenly appeared across her screen.
Kai Ryder:
You survived today. Proud of you.
Lena frowned immediately.
Why was that strangely sweet?
Lena:
Barely.
Three dots appeared instantly.
Kai:
Want to see something funny?
Before she could answer, another message arrived.
A picture.
Lena opened it cautiously.
Then burst out laughing before she could stop herself.
It was a screenshot from a fan account analyzing the way Kai looked at her during the charity event with dramatic red circles and captions.
HE’S DOWN BAD.
“Oh my God,” Ava wheezed beside her. “People are insane.”
Lena tried to stop smiling.
It didn’t work.
Another message appeared.
Kai:
There’s also a poll asking when we’ll kiss.
Her stomach betrayed her completely.
Lena:
Never.
Three dots appeared again.
Then disappeared.
Then appeared again.
Finally:
Kai:
That sounded disappointed.
Lena stared at the message too long.
Way too long.
“Why are you smiling at your phone?” Ava asked suspiciously.
“I’m not.”
“You literally are.”
Lena immediately threw the phone across the bed.
This was bad.
Very bad.
Because somewhere between fake dates and sarcastic arguments, Kai Ryder had become dangerously easy to talk to.
And Lena wasn’t sure when that happened.
—
The next morning started with disaster.
Lena stepped out of her dorm building carrying coffee and immediately froze.
Kai Ryder sat on the hood of his motorcycle wearing black jeans and a dark hoodie like some kind of walking romance novel stereotype.
Girls nearby openly stared at him.
One almost walked into a tree.
Kai spotted Lena instantly and grinned.
“There’s my girlfriend.”
Lena glanced around nervously. “Why are you here?”
“To pick you up.”
“I have legs.”
“Cute ones too.”
Her face heated immediately.
Kai looked entirely too pleased with himself.
“You flirt like it’s a medical condition,” she muttered.
“It probably is.”
He handed her a helmet.
Lena blinked. “No.”
“No?”
“I’m not getting on that death machine.”
Kai placed a hand dramatically over his heart. “You wound me, Princess.”
“You drive like a criminal.”
“I drive like an artist.”
“You nearly hit a fountain yesterday.”
“The fountain was in my way.”
Lena stared at him.
Kai stared back innocently.
Then, somehow, she laughed.
Actually laughed.
Kai’s expression shifted slightly in surprise.
Like he hadn’t expected that sound from her.
And suddenly the moment felt oddly soft.
Dangerously soft.
“You should do that more,” he said quietly.
“What?”
“Laugh.”
Something fluttered painfully in Lena’s chest.
Before she could answer, her phone buzzed.
Her father.
Instant dread immediately replaced every emotion.
Lena answered quickly. “Hi, Dad.”
“Where are you?”
“Outside my dorm.”
“I need you in my office immediately.”
His tone made her stomach tighten.
“What happened?”
“Now, Lena.”
The call ended.
Kai studied her expression carefully. “Problem?”
“My father.”
“That explains the fear.”
She glared weakly. “You’re not helping.”
“I could hold your hand supportively.”
“You’re enjoying this way too much.”
“A little.”
Still, when Lena started walking toward the athletics building, Kai fell into step beside her without another joke.
Which somehow made her more nervous.
—
Coach Hart looked furious.
Again.
At this point, Lena wondered if her father experienced any other emotion.
Several papers were spread across his desk when she entered his office.
Kai walked in behind her casually.
Coach Hart’s eyes narrowed instantly.
“Close the door.”
Lena obeyed carefully.
“This fake relationship was supposed to reduce problems,” Coach Hart said sharply. “Instead, reporters are digging deeper into Kai’s personal life.”
Kai leaned against the wall silently.
Too silently.
Lena noticed immediately.
“What happened?”
Her father slid a newspaper across the desk.
The headline made her chest tighten.
ASHFORD STAR’S TROUBLED PAST RESURFACES
Below the title were pictures of Kai entering police stations, fighting outside bars, and standing beside an exhausted-looking woman Lena didn’t recognize.
Kai’s mother, apparently.
The article detailed years of scandals, suspensions, and rumors about his family.
Lena looked up slowly.
Kai’s face had gone completely blank.
Not angry.
Not defensive.
Just… empty.
Like he’d disappeared behind a wall.
“This is why distractions are dangerous,” Coach Hart continued coldly. “One wrong move and everything collapses.”
Kai laughed softly.
But there was nothing amused about the sound.
“Relax, Coach,” he said quietly. “People already think I’m trash anyway.”
The room went still.
Something painful twisted inside Lena unexpectedly.
Because he said it so casually.
Like he truly believed it.
Coach Hart sighed. “That’s not what I said.”
“You didn’t have to.”
Kai pushed away from the wall. “Are we done here?”
Before anyone answered, he walked out.
The office door slammed hard enough to shake the walls.
Silence followed.
Lena looked toward her father slowly.
“You were too harsh.”
Coach Hart frowned. “He needs discipline.”
“He looked hurt.”
“He’s used to consequences.”
Lena crossed her arms. “That doesn’t mean he deserves cruelty.”
Her father looked genuinely surprised.
“Since when are you defending him?”
Lena hesitated.
Because honestly…
She didn’t know.
—
She found Kai behind the empty stadium an hour later.
Sitting alone in the highest bleachers.
Rain clouds gathered above the field while cold wind swept through the massive arena.
Kai didn’t look at her when she approached.
“I figured you’d be avoiding me,” he said quietly.
Lena sat beside him carefully. “Why would I?”
He laughed once under his breath. “You saw the article.”
“So?”
“So now you know I’m exactly what people say I am.”
Lena studied him silently.
Up close, he looked exhausted.
Dark circles beneath his eyes. Bruises across his knuckles. Tension hidden beneath every movement.
Not dangerous.
Just tired.
“What happened to your hand?” she asked softly.
Kai glanced at his bruised knuckles. “Nothing.”
“That’s obviously a lie.”
“Good thing you’re not dating me for honesty.”
The joke landed flat.
Lena looked out across the empty field.
“You know,” she said quietly, “people talk about me too.”
Kai finally looked at her.
“They do?”
“She’s cold. Boring. Perfect little princess.” Lena shrugged slightly. “Most people don’t even bother knowing me before deciding who I am.”
Something unreadable flickered across Kai’s face.
“That’s different.”
“Why?”
“Because they’re wrong about you.”
Her heart skipped once.
The silence between them suddenly felt too heavy.
Too close.
Rain began falling softly around the stadium.
Kai looked away first.
“They’re not wrong about me.”
Lena watched him carefully.
Then, before she could overthink it…
She reached out slowly and took his injured hand.
Kai froze instantly.
His breath caught slightly.
Lena’s pulse exploded.
His skin was warm despite the rain.
Rough.
Real.
“You don’t get to decide who you are based on other people’s opinions,” she whispered.
Kai stared at her like she’d said something impossible.
For one terrifying moment, Lena thought he might pull away.
Instead…
His fingers tightened carefully around hers.
And suddenly the cold stadium didn’t feel cold anymore.
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