The first thing Lila did after leaving the arena was call Sophie and Ethan.
Emergency meeting.
Immediately.
Twenty minutes later, all three were sitting inside their favorite campus café, tucked away in a corner booth that smelled permanently of roasted espresso beans and stale cinnamon.
Lila’s fingers nervously traced the condensation on her iced latte.
She took a deep breath.
"I have something to tell you."
Sophie gasped dramatically before Lila could even finish the sentence, nearly spilling her green tea.
"Oh my God."
Ethan narrowed his eyes, his protective instincts already locking in.
"What happened?"
Lila hesitated, the weight of the secret pressing against her ribs.
Then blurted it out.
"Ryker and I are fake dating."
Silence.
For exactly three seconds, the ambient no
