My Fake Boyfriend Is My Biggest Rival

Rules of the Fake Relationship

My heart was pounding so hard I was surprised Luca couldn't hear it. He was still standing close enough that I could smell the faint scent of cedar from his hoodie mixed with the clean soap he'd probably used after practice. One hand rested against the classroom door behind me, the other braced against the wall. Anyone walking past would think he had me cornered. Which, annoyingly, he did.

"So?" he asked, one corner of his mouth lifting. "What's it going to be, Bennett?" I folded my arms, more to stop myself from fidgeting than because I was angry. "You think this is funny?" "I think you're thinking too hard." "I always think." "I know." That simple answer caught me off guard. He said it so casually, as though it was the most obvious thing in the world. Like he knew me. I quickly pushed the thought away.

"No." He raised an eyebrow. "No... what?" "No, I'm not becoming your fake girlfriend." "You already kissed me." "You kissed me." "You kissed me first in the locker room." "That was an accident." "The second one?" I glared at him. "The third one?" "Luca." "The fourth—" "If you count one more kiss," I snapped, "I'm going to punch you." His grin widened. "There she is." Why did he always look so pleased when I threatened him?

I rubbed my forehead. "This whole thing is insane." "It is." "I just got dumped." "I know." "My ex publicly humiliated me." "I noticed." "My entire class thinks we're dating." "They do." "And you're smiling." "I usually smile when I'm right." I groaned. "You are impossible." "So you've said."

Silence settled between us. Not awkward. Just... quieter than before. For the first time since Noah's betrayal, my mind wasn't replaying the awful things he'd said. Instead, it was occupied by the infuriating football captain standing in front of me. That realization alone irritated me.

Luca straightened. "I'm serious, Harper." The teasing disappeared from his voice. "Noah won't stop." I looked away. "You don't know that." "I do." "You don't." "I know guys like him." His expression hardened. "They don't like losing." I remembered the look on Noah's face after Luca kissed me. It hadn't been embarrassment. It had been anger. The kind that didn't disappear overnight.

Luca sighed. "If we tell everyone it was fake, Noah wins." "I don't care." "You will." "I won't." "They'll laugh at you." "I've survived worse." He shook his head. "No." His voice was quiet. "You've survived people ignoring you." I froze. "You haven't survived becoming entertainment." The words landed harder than I wanted them to. Because he was right. By tomorrow morning, everyone in school would know about today. The kiss. The shouting. The condoms. The rumors. Noah. Every embarrassing second. My stomach twisted.

Luca watched my face. "You don't have to like this idea." "I already don't." "You don't even have to like me." "I definitely don't." "But let me help." I laughed once. A short, disbelieving sound. "You?" "Me." "My lifelong enemy?" "Former enemy." "I didn't agree to that promotion." "You'll get used to it." I rolled my eyes so hard they almost hurt. "Unbelievable."

He leaned against the teacher's desk. "So?" "So what?" "So... are we doing this?" I stared at him. This was Luca Hayes. The boy who'd stolen my science fair ribbon in fourth grade because he claimed I smiled funnier when I was mad. The i***t who'd hidden my debate notes in sophomore year and then helped me find them five minutes before the competition. The same boy who somehow managed to annoy me every single time we were in the same room. Dating him, even fake dating, felt ridiculous. Dangerous. Complicated. Which probably explained why it was the smartest option I had.

I blew out a long breath. "Fine." His eyebrows lifted. "Fine?" "Don't make me repeat it." A slow smile spread across his face. "I knew you'd come around." "I haven't come around." "You literally just did." "I agreed because this protects me from Noah." "And?" "And nothing." "It protects me too." I frowned. "How?" He shrugged. "My fan club gets distracted." I snorted. "Your ego deserves its own zip code." "It already has one." I couldn't stop the tiny laugh that escaped. His eyes softened for a fraction of a second. He noticed. Of course he noticed. I immediately cleared my throat.

"Before you start celebrating, we need rules." His shoulders relaxed. "I had a feeling you'd say that." "I mean it." "So do I." I held up one finger. "Rule number one." He straightened dramatically. "I'm listening." "No flirting." His forehead creased. "Public or private?" "Private." "What about public?" I hesitated. "...Only when people are watching." "So fake flirting." "Exactly." He nodded thoughtfully. "I can work with that."

I held up a second finger. "Rule number two." "No unnecessary touching." He looked genuinely offended. "I've never unnecessarily touched anyone in my life." "You literally trapped me against a piano this morning." "That was strategy." "That was harassment." "Agree to disagree." I ignored him. "If we're alone, keep your hands to yourself." "Unless?" "There is no unless." He scratched the back of his neck, trying—and failing—not to smile. "This list is getting depressing." "It's supposed to."

I raised a third finger. "No real dates." His smile faded just a little. "So... no movies?" "No." "Dinner?" "No." "Ice cream?" "No." "Walking you home?" "No." "You've really thought about this." "I started thinking the second you ruined my life." He chuckled under his breath. "Fair."

I took one more steadying breath before lifting my fourth finger. "And finally..." His expression became unreadable. "No more kissing." The room went completely still. "Unless," I added carefully, "there's absolutely no other choice." His gaze stayed on mine for a long moment before he gave one slow nod. "Deal."