Hate That I Love You

Chapter 17: Making It Real?

Chapter 17: Making It Real?

Kael Veyra’s POV

If I thought agreeing to Draven’s plan would give me a sense of control, I was dead wrong.

It started the next morning. I was halfway across campus, headed toward my first class, when I felt someone fall into step beside me. I didn’t have to look to know who it was.

“Morning, babe,” Draven drawled, his voice low and teasing, like he knew exactly what kind of reaction he’d get.

I stopped dead in my tracks, my face already starting to heat. “Excuse me?”

“Babe,” he repeated smoothly, his lips curving into a lazy grin. “You know, term of endearment. Couples use it all the time. We’re just making it believable, right?” “You know, we are supposed to be faking a relationship. Gotta make it believable.”

I stared at him, trying to figure out if he was messing with me or if he actually thought this was a good idea. Probably both.

“Draven—”

Before I could finish, he reached down and laced his fingers through mine, pulling me gently but firmly toward the main quad.

“Relax,” he said, flashing me a lazy grin. “You’re overthinking it.”

“I’m not overthinking it,” I hissed, trying to tug my hand away. “I’m thinking exactly the right amount for someone who just got ambushed by her fake boyfriend.”

“Ambushed?” He laughed, the sound low and warm. “You agreed to this, remember?”

“Not to being called ‘babe’ in public,” I muttered.

He leaned closer, his lips just barely brushing against the shell of my ear, sending a shiver down my spine. “Would you prefer ‘sweetheart’?”

“Stop,” I said, my voice coming out weaker than I wanted, as my cheeks turned the color of a ripe tomato. “You’re enjoying this way too much.”

“Maybe,” he admitted, his eyes glinting with mischief as he took in my flushed face. “You’re blushing, Kael. I think you like this more than you’re letting on. Admit it.””

I glared at him, wishing I could wipe the smug look off his face—but the worst part? My pulse was racing, and he could probably tell. There was something exhilarating about the whole thing, even if it was also completely insane.

By the time we reached the entrance to the lecture hall, the whispers had already started. People were staring, their eyes flicking between me and Draven with a mix of curiosity, jealousy, and outright disbelief.

“Looks like the gossip page is going to have a field day,” I muttered under my breath.

“Good,” Draven said, his grip on my hand tightening slightly. “Let them talk.”

As we walked inside, I spotted Sera near the front of the room, her face a perfect mask of icy composure. But when her eyes landed on us—on our joined hands—I saw a flicker of something beneath the surface. Anger. Jealousy. Maybe even fear.

“Morning, Sera,” Draven said smoothly as we passed her.

She didn’t respond, but the look she gave me could have frozen lava.

After class, I tried to slip away before Draven could corner me again, but he was faster.

“Going somewhere?” he asked, falling into step beside me as we headed down the hall.

“I have a meeting with my advisor,” I lied, hoping he’d take the hint.

He didn’t.

“Cool. I’ll walk with you.”

“Draven—”

“Kael.” He stopped walking and turned to face me, his expression unexpectedly serious. “Are you okay? Like, actually okay?”

I blinked, caught off guard by the sudden shift in his tone. “I’m fine.”

“Are you?” he pressed, his eyes searching mine. “Because you’ve been tense all morning. And I get it—this is a lot. But we’re in this together, remember?”

I hesitated, my throat tightening as a wave of anxiety hit me. “Draven, maybe... maybe we shouldn’t do this anymore.”

His brows furrowed. “What do you mean?”

“I mean, maybe we should just stop talking, stop seeing each other,” I said quietly, avoiding his gaze. “Go back to being strangers, like Sera and everyone else wants. Maybe that would make all of this go away.””

Draven stared at me for a long moment, his jaw tightening. Then, to my surprise, he reached out and gently took my hand.

“No,” he said firmly. “I’m not doing that. I’m not losing you, Kael.”

My heart skipped a beat, and I hated how much his words affected me.

“I know it’s hard,” he continued, his voice softer now. “But we’ll get through it. Together. But if it gets to be too much, you’ll tell me, right?”

“Right,” I lied.

By the end of the day, I was exhausted. The constant whispers, the lingering stares, the pressure of pretending to be something I wasn’t—it was all starting to wear me down.

I was heading back to my dorm when I felt my phone buzz in my pocket. I pulled it out and groaned when I saw the notification.

Another post on the gossip page.

This one was a picture of me and Draven walking hand-in-hand across campus, with the caption:

Power Couple Alert: Kael and Draven Take Blackthorn by Storm.

I stared at the screen, my heart pounding. The comments were already flooding in:

Guess it’s official now.

Poor Sera. First he breaks her heart, and now he’s flaunting it? Brutal.

Kael’s living the dream. Lucky girl.

I shoved my phone back into my pocket, my mind racing. This was exactly what we’d signed up for, wasn’t it? But somehow, it didn’t feel as satisfying as I’d thought it would.

“Everything okay?”

I looked up to see Draven standing a few feet away, watching me with that same unreadable expression.

“Yeah,” I said, forcing a smile. “Everything’s fine.”

But deep down, I wasn’t so sure.