Episode 8
1416 Words
VIOLETTA
I stared at him still waiting for an answer but Cassian just stared right back, completely unbothered.
One second passed and then two.
Oh, he really wasn’t going to tell me.
“Has anyone ever told you that you’re annoying?” I finally asked, narrowing my eyes at him.
“Nah.” He picked up his drink. “They are usually too speechless to talk to me in the first place.”
The smugness on his face made me scoff, and this time, he laughed.
My eyes remained on him as he lifted his cup to his lips.
The man sitting across from me was completely different from the cold, intimidating captain everyone on campus knew… I had expected arrogance and an ego big enough to rival Logan’s, yet somehow, Cassian was just… strange.
Quiet…Sarcastic and unfortunately, very easy to look at.
The waitress returned with our food, saving me from that dangerous train of thought.
We ate quietly for several minutes before Cassian suddenly spoke, breaking the silence, “I’ve thought about your proposal.”
My fork stopped halfway to my mouth.
Yeah, right.
After rejecting me, kissing me in front of half the university, calling me his girlfriend in front of Logan, and practically dropping enough signals to confuse the hell out of me… now he wanted to talk.
“You could’ve saved us all this trouble by saying that back at your house.”
He nodded as though I’d made an excellent point.
“Yeah, but this was more fun… catching you and everyone else off guard.” He took another bite of his food. “Definitely worth it.”
I stared at him.
“You’re actually insane.”
“And annoying, I know that Vee.” He teased.
I rolled my eyes, fighting the stupid bubble of excitement rising inside my chest.
“If we’re doing this, though, we need rules,” I said, and his amused eyes immediately met mine.
“I'm listening.”
I placed my fork down.
“Rule number one. If we’re going to do this, neither of us can see anyone else.”
He shrugged, “I wasn’t planning to.”
The ease of his answer caught me off guard, but I ignored it.
“Same here.”
“Then… this is actually very important.” I cleared my throat before continuing, “no sleeping together while we are together.”
Cassian almost choked on his drink.
I immediately sat straighter, “I’m just making it clear!”
He wiped his mouth with a napkin, his blue eyes sparkling, “Noted, but you’re saying it like I asked.”
I pointed a finger at him.
“I’m serious. I’m not one of those girls who hang around you, Cassian… I don’t find you attractive.”
The lie slipped out so easily that I almost believed myself.
His eyes slowly moved over my face then he nodded, “Noted, Violetta.”
“And just so you know…” His mouth twitched. “I don’t bite.”
My cheeks warmed again.
I wanted to throw my drink at him.
His eyes suddenly shifted past me before returning to my face.
“Girl across from us has been taking pictures for the past five minutes.”
He was just noticing that now?
I tried to turn but he reached across the table and took my hands in his, “Don’t look.”
His palms were warm against mine, his fingers nearly swallowing my smaller hands as he held them on top of the table.
My heart skipped then apparently decided it wanted to embarrass me by thumping so f*****g hard against my chest that I was convinced he could hear it.
Cassian looked completely unaffected.
I forced myself to remember why we were doing this.
“No lies between us,” I continued.
His eyebrow lifted.
“We’re already lying.”
I felt like smacking his smart ass, “You know what I mean. I don’t want to hear something about you from someone else when I’m supposed to be your girlfriend and know these things.”
Something in his expression changed… it was gone in an instant that I almost thought I’d imagined it.
Then he nodded.
“And while we’re playing pretend…” he continued, his thumb absentmindedly brushing over my knuckles, “…I think you’d look good in my clothes, especially my jersey.”
The strange flutter returned to my stomach.
I ignored it.
“You do know I work during your games, right? So I can’t stand in the crowd screaming your name for three hours.”
His mouth twitched.
“Shame.”
I kicked him lightly beneath the table.
He didn’t even flinch.
“I’ll wear your jersey, but I’m still working.” I replied.
It might also throw Logan off his game as in all our years of dating, I had never touched his things, but I didn’t say anything out loud.
“I’ll make sure you get your interviews.”
I paused.
That surprised me because I knew for a fact that Cassian and his circle of friends never gave interviews.
Logan had spent two years complaining whenever my work interfered with whatever he wanted from me… which was always screen time. Yet Cassian, someone who barely knew me, had already considered how our arrangement would affect my job.
“Thank you,” I said quietly.
Cassian squeezed my hands.
I suddenly remembered the girl with the camera.
Right.
Fake.
This was fake.
“When we’re in public…” I continued, trying desperately to ignore the warmth of his hands around mine. “We do whatever couples normally do.”
“Kissing?”
My heart stumbled.
“If necessary.”
He had a smug grin on his face as he asked again, “Holding hands?”
“We’re literally doing that.”
“Hugging?” He was starting to push his luck.
“Yes.”
His eyes remained locked on mine as he asked, “What else?”
I swallowed.
“That’s enough.”
His mouth curved into a smirk.
“My last rule,” I said quickly, pulling my hands away before my heart completely betrayed me.
I looked him straight in the eyes.
“No falling in love.”
He stared at me for two long seconds before bursting into laughter causing me to frown.
“I don't think that's funny.”
His laughter slowly faded, but the amusement remained in his eyes, “I don’t think that’s something either of us has to worry about.”
For some stupid reason, the words stung, which was ridiculous because that was exactly what I wanted him to say.
“Good,” I replied, crossing my arms. “I just wanted to make it clear.”
“Crystal.”
He reached for one of the spare napkins before pulling a pen from his pocket.
I stared at him.
“What are you doing?”
Instead of answering, he started writing.
FAKE DATING RULES
1. No seeing other people.
2. Public affection when necessary.
3. Support each other publicly.
4. No falling in love.
He slid the napkin across the table.
“Sign it.”
I looked from the napkin to him.
“You’re kidding.”
He clearly wasn’t as his hand remained outstretched, waiting for me to take the pen.
I chuckled before snatching it from him and signing my name at the bottom.
Cassian took the pen from me and signed directly beneath mine, for some reason, seeing our names together made everything feel more real.
He signed beneath mine before sliding it back to me… I folded the napkin carefully before slipping it into my bag.
Then the question we'd both been avoiding settled between us.
“When does this end?”
Cassian looked out the café window for a moment before answering.
“When Logan finally believes you've moved on.” His eyes returned to mine. “And when the media finds someone else to obsess over."
I slowly nodded.
“Deal.”
The word left my mouth easily.
Too easily.
Yet as I sat there staring at the man I’d somehow agreed to fake-date, two questions remained trapped at the back of my mind.
What would happen if one of us fell in love with someone else?
And what happened if the media never found someone else to obsess over?
Because Cassian Alexandris was always in the spotlight and now… I had willingly stepped into it with him.
- Writer
