Chapter 9
1340 Words
Ivy
Asher looked up at the reporters, his expression shifting instantly from irritated to fiercely protective.
“Look, guys, you want a statement? Here it is.” Asher’s voice carried down the corridor, deep and authoritative. He tilted his head down and pressed a slow, lingering kiss to the top of my head. The unexpected softness of his lips against my hair made my breath hitch. “Ivy and I are together. What happened last night was just a fight. Couples argue, and unfortunately, things got loud, emotions ran high, and it looked worse on video. But we’re fine. We’re good. Now turn the cameras off and give us some space.”
The reporters erupted with a barrage of new questions — When did you start dating? What about Jennie? Is this serious? — but Asher ignored them all. Keeping his arm locked securely around my shoulders, he steered me down the hall, forcing me to walk in perfect lockstep with him.
Every eye in the athletic complex was glued to us. His body heat radiated against my side, his fingers occasionally flexing against my shoulder like he was reminding me and everyone watching exactly who I belonged to in this moment.
The fake relationship hadn’t even officially started.
It was already consuming me.
My heart raced wildly as we pushed through the exit doors together, the weight of his arm still heavy around me. I could feel the eyes following us, the whispers, the flashes of phone cameras.
And the worst part?
A dangerous, traitorous part of me didn’t entirely hate the way his body felt pressed against mine.
^^^
The walk back to the dorm felt endless. Asher had finally let go of me once we were far enough from the reporters, but the ghost of his arm around my shoulders and the memory of that kiss on my hair still lingered like a brand. I didn’t say a word to him. He didn’t push. We just walked in heavy silence until our paths split.
By the time I pushed open the door to my dorm room, I was exhausted, rattled, and still tasting the lie on my tongue.
The second I stepped inside, Lena launched herself at me like a purple-streaked missile.
“Ivy! Oh my God, Ivyyyyy!” she squealed at the top of her lungs, practically tackling me in a hug. “What the actual hell is going on?! I’ve been blowing up your phone!”
She pulled back just enough to hold me at arm’s length, eyes wide and sparkling with pure glee. “You and Asher Hayes?! Like, together together?! The videos are everywhere! People are losing their minds on the group chats. Is it true? Are you actually dating the hottest guy on campus?!”
I stood there frozen, bag still hanging limply from my fingers. Lena’s excitement was so loud and bright it almost hurt.
“Lena, I—”
“Tell me everything!” she interrupted, dragging me toward my bed and forcing me to sit. She flopped down beside me, bouncing with energy. “When did this start? Was the slap from last night some kind of kinky foreplay? Like… don't you dare lay your hands on my woman kind of thing?Because the chemistry between you both looked super insane. The way he grabbed you and kissed your head in front of everyone—girl, I almost fainted!”
I rubbed my temples, trying to find the words. My face felt hot just thinking about it.
“It’s… complicated,” I said weakly.
“Complicated how?” Lena’s grin widened. “Because from where I’m sitting, you went from ‘I don’t see what the big deal is about Asher’ to ‘I’m dating the star hockey player’ in like twenty-four hours. This is legendary, Ivy!”
She suddenly gasped dramatically. “Wait — does this mean I get to live vicariously through you? Late-night rink makeouts? You wearing his hoodie? Secret locker room moments? I need details, Ivy. I’m invested now.”
I groaned and fell backward onto my bed, covering my face with my hands. Lena’s joyful squealing was the polar opposite of the dread currently eating me alive.
The scholarship review. The fake relationship. The way my body had betrayed me when Asher pulled me against him in front of all those cameras.
And now this — my roommate treating it like the romance of the century.
“Lena,” I mumbled through my fingers, “it’s not what it looks like.”
She poked my side. “Then what is it? Because it looked pretty damn real to me.”
I stayed silent, heart still racing from everything that had happened today. How was I supposed to explain that the guy who used to torment me was now pretending to be my boyfriend just to save both our futures?
Lena leaned over me, eyes sparkling with mischief and excitement.
“Come on, roomie. Spill. I can keep a secret… mostly.”
I lowered my hands and stared at the ceiling.
This was going to be a lot harder than I thought.
The next morning came far too quickly.
I stood outside the Dean’s office at 7:55 AM, heart hammering so hard I felt dizzy. My palms were sweaty. I had rehearsed a dozen different versions of “it was just a lovers’ quarrel” in my head, but none of them felt convincing.
The door opened. The same adviser from yesterday gave me a tight smile and gestured me inside.
“Miss Hart. The Dean is ready for you.”
I walked in on shaky legs. The Dean — a stern woman in her fifties — sat behind a large oak desk, her expression unreadable. Two other board members were present.
“Take a seat,” she said.
I sat.
She didn’t waste time. “We’ve reviewed the videos and the social media fallout. The university has a reputation to uphold, especially with major donors watching the hockey program closely. Explain yourself.”
I swallowed hard.
“It was… a private argument between me and my boyfriend,” I said, forcing the word out. “Asher Hayes. Things got heated. We’re still figuring things out. It won’t happen again.”
The Dean raised an eyebrow. “Boyfriend?”
“Yes,” I said, trying to sound confident. “We’re together.”
One of the board members leaned forward. “And you’re aware that your scholarship requires you to represent the university positively?”
“I am. This was an isolated incident. We’re handling it.”
The room was quiet for a long, terrifying moment.
Finally, the Dean nodded slowly. “We’ll be monitoring the situation closely. Consider this a formal warning. One more public incident and we will reevaluate your funding. You’re dismissed.”
I nearly collapsed with relief as I left the office.
But the relief was short-lived.
As I stepped outside the building, Asher was waiting, leaning against the wall with his arms crossed. He looked annoyingly calm.
“How did it go?” he asked.
“They bought it,” I muttered. “Barely. I’m on thin ice.”
He pushed off the wall and fell into step beside me. “Good. That makes two of us.”
We walked in silence for a bit. Then he spoke again, voice lower.
“Practice is at four. Coach wants you there for media content. And… we should probably be seen together before then. Make it look real.”
I stopped walking. “Today?”
“Today.” He turned to face me. His gaze dropped to my lips for a second before returning to my eyes. “Unless you’ve changed your mind about the scholarship.”
I hadn’t.
“Fine,” I said through gritted teeth. “But we’re sticking to the rules if the need arises.”
Asher’s smirk returned slowly. “Of course.”
The way he said it made it very clear he had no intention of making this easy.
- Writer
