CAMPUS HEARTS

CHAPTER 7

CHAPTER 7

I was currently driving toward Eleven Street.

It was one of the most expensive streets in all of Los Angeles. If someone told me that every house on the street belonged to a millionaire, I wouldn't even be surprised.

Celebrities lived there. Actual celebrities. And today, for some unbelievable reason, I was going there.

Rachel Forbes had messaged me earlier that morning and asked me to come see her. She had even sent me the address herself.

Just thinking about it made my stomach flutter.

Rachel Forbes.

The Rachel Forbes.

I tightened my grip on the steering wheel as I drove through the city. A few minutes later, I finally reached the entrance to Eleven Street.

Security stopped me immediately. One of the guards approached my car and asked for verification.

I quickly reached into my bag and pulled out the card Rachel had instructed me to bring.

The moment he saw it, his expression changed. "You're free to enter, ma'am."

Ma'am?

I almost looked behind me to see if he was talking to someone else. Trying not to grin, I thanked him and drove through the gates.

The street was beautiful. Every property looked like something out of a luxury magazine.

Massive houses. Perfect gardens. Expensive cars. Money. Everywhere. Eventually, I found the address Rachel had sent me.

Building B12. I slowed my car and stared. The house was enormous. Not just rich-people enormous. Movie-star enormous. I parked in the driveway and switched off the engine.

Before getting out, I grabbed the small box of cookies I had brought.

I wasn't sure if celebrities accepted cookies from random college students, but it felt rude showing up empty-handed.

Taking a deep breath, I stepped out of the car and headed for the front door.

My heart was pounding. I pressed the doorbell. A few moments later, the door opened. A woman dressed in a staff uniform greeted me warmly. "You must be Katherine." I nodded. Her smile widened. "Mrs. Forbes is expecting you. Please come in."

I followed her inside. The moment I stepped into the house, I almost forgot how to walk. The interior was gorgeous. Everything looked elegant and expensive without being over-the-top. The walls, the furniture, the decorations...

It looked like something straight out of an interior design magazine. The staff member led me into the living room. "Mrs. Forbes will be with you shortly."

"Thank you."

She gestured me toward a couch. I sat down carefully. The couch was so soft I nearly sank into it. I spent the next few moments admiring the room while trying not to panic.

Then I heard footsteps. I immediately sat up straighter. And there she was.

Rachel Forbes.

In real life. Standing right in front of me. I jumped to my feet so quickly that I nearly tripped over myself.

Rachel looked at me. Then she laughed. Before I could react, she stepped forward and pulled me into a hug.

A hug. Rachel Forbes was hugging me.

"You look like you've just seen Jesus," she teased. "Relax." I laughed nervously.

"Yeah. I can do that."

"No, seriously. Breathe." I nodded.

She looked at me for another second before bursting into laughter again. Her laughter was contagious. Soon I was laughing too. Somehow, she made me feel comfortable almost immediately.

Rachel sat down on the couch. I followed her lead and sat across from her. "So..." she said, crossing one leg over the other. "Charles has already told me a lot of nice things about you."

My eyes widened. Charles had talked about me? Okay... I pushed the thought aside.

Rachel smiled. "But I can't wait to be wowed."

I chuckled nervously. "Sure. I'd be happy to wow you."

Rachel grinned. "Good answer."

She leaned back against the couch. "What theme do you think I should go for?"

I thought about it carefully. Fashion wasn't just something I liked. It was something I understood. Something I had spent years studying and dreaming about. After a moment, I answered. "A dark theme."

Rachel immediately looked intrigued. "Interesting." She then tilted her head slightly. "Why?"

I sat forward. "Well, you recently got married." She nodded. "A dark theme could symbolize intimacy and emotional connection. It creates mystery. It might even make people speculate about the next stage of your life."

Her eyebrows rose. I continued. "Fans love theories. If you show up with a design that tells a story, they'll start talking. Some might even wonder if a baby announcement is coming."

Rachel stared at me. For a moment, she said nothing. Then she slowly smiled. "Wow." My heart skipped. She actually liked the idea. "Okay," she said. "That wasn't what I expected."

I smiled nervously. Rachel pointed at me. "I like the way your brain works."

I nearly melted into the couch. "Thank you."

"I think you've got this." The words alone felt like a reward. A little later, I handed her the cookies I had brought.

Her eyes lit up immediately. "You brought me cookies?" I nodded. Rachel looked ridiculously excited. "See? This is why I already like you."

I laughed. The visit continued far better than I could have imagined. We talked about fashion. Design. College. Life. At one point she even invited me to stay for lunch.

There was absolutely no universe in which I was turning down lunch with Rachel Forbes.

By the time I finally left, she had given me a month to work on the design.

A whole month.

I couldn't stop smiling as I drove home.

---

When I finally arrived at my apartment building, I automatically glanced toward the elevator.

Maybe today would be different. Maybe the universe had decided to be nice to me for once.

I pressed the button. Nothing. I pressed it again. Still nothing. The elevator remained stubbornly broken. I sighed. "Of course."

Giving up, I headed for the stairs.

By the time I reached the third floor, I was questioning every life choice that had led me to this moment.

I unlocked the apartment door and stepped inside. The first thing I noticed was Monica. The second thing I noticed was her expression.

She looked annoyed. Very annoyed. The moment she saw me, she stood up. "I can't believe you, Kathy."

I blinked. "What?"

"You have a boyfriend?"

Now I was completely confused. "What?"

"And you've apparently been seeing him for two months!" She folded her arms. "Were you cheating on Simon?"

I stared at her. Then I stared some more. Of all the accusations I expected today, that definitely wasn't one of them. "Molly."

"What?"

"Why would you think I cheated on Simon?"

Her expression softened slightly. She sighed. "No, okay. I don't actually think you cheated."

I raised an eyebrow. "Good."

"But Simon came to me crying." Of course he did. She continued. "Well... not crying exactly."

I snorted. "Sure."

"But he told me you were dating Charles Martinez and that you'd been together for two months." I groaned internally. Simon and his inability to keep things to himself. Monica kept talking. "I didn't believe him because you would've told me. Then I saw the post in the Dake gossip group."

I immediately understood. The locker room. Someone had definitely spread the news. I sighed. Part of the reason I had broken up with Simon was because he couldn't keep secrets. Literally none.

He told Monica everything. Everything. I was honestly surprised he didn't give her weekly reports.

"It's fake," I explained.

Monica blinked. "What?"

"It's a fake relationship." Her eyes widened. "We aren't actually dating. It literally started yesterday."

For a moment she just stared. Then she nodded. "Okay." Then she smiled. "Oh my God."

I immediately recognized that smile. And I didn't like it. "Molly—"

"Nope."

She grabbed my arm. "You are telling me everything."

Before I could protest, she dragged me toward the couch. Then she suddenly stopped. "Wait."

She rushed into the kitchen. A few seconds later she returned carrying an enormous bowl of popcorn.

I stared at her. "Molly."

"What?"

"Seriously?"

"Continue."

I laughed despite myself. Then I told her everything. The fake dating arrangement. Charles. His father. Rachel Forbes. The competition.

Everything. She listened to every single detail. By the end, she looked far too entertained. The rest of the evening passed peacefully. We watched a movie.

Argued over which actor was the hottest. Then eventually decided to call it a night.

I headed into my room, took a quick shower, changed into comfortable clothes, and collapsed onto my bed.

I was exhausted. Today had been one of the craziest days of my life. My eyes were already beginning to close when my phone suddenly lit up.

I groaned. Who was messaging me this late?

Reluctantly, I sat up and grabbed my phone from the bedside table. A new text message waited on the screen.

Curious, I opened it. Then I froze. The message contained only three words.

Sweet dreams, girlfriend.

My heart immediately did something stupid. Charles Martinez. I already knew it was him. And somehow, that made the message even worse.