Hate That I Love You

Chapter 19: A Dangerous Game

Chapter 19: A Dangerous Game

Kael Veyra’s POV

Avoiding Draven was harder than I expected.

I tried to stay busy, burying myself in assignments and hanging out with Livia whenever I could. But no matter where I went, it felt like Draven was always nearby—a magnetic presence I couldn’t escape.

And the worst part? I wasn’t sure I even wanted to.

“Are you going to tell me what’s going on, or do I have to guess?” Livia asked as we walked across campus, her voice cutting through my thoughts.

“Nothing’s going on,” I lied.

She gave me a look. “Right. And I’m the queen of England.”

I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. “It’s complicated.”

“Isn’t it always?”

Before I could respond, my phone buzzed in my pocket. I pulled it out and felt my stomach twist when I saw the notification.

Another post on the gossip page.

This one featured a picture of Draven and me in the hallway yesterday, his hand on my arm, his face inches from mine. The caption read:

Enemies to Lovers? Kael and Draven Heat Things Up.

“Ugh,” I muttered, shoving my phone back into my pocket.

“What now?” Livia asked, peering over my shoulder.

“More gossip,” I said. “I swear, I can’t breathe without ending up on that stupid page.”

Livia frowned. “They’re obsessed with you two. Maybe you should just give them what they want.”

I shot her a look. “You’re not helping.”

“Just saying,” she said with a shrug. “You and Draven have chemistry. Even a blind person could see it.”

I opened my mouth to argue, but before I could, I heard a familiar voice behind me.

“Talking about me again, Veyra?”

I turned to see Draven strolling toward us, his trademark smirk firmly in place.

“Don’t you have somewhere else to be?” I asked, crossing my arms.

“Not really,” he said, stopping just a little too close. “But if you’re offering to keep me company, I’m all in.”

Livia snickered, and I shot her a glare. “Not helping.”

She grinned. “I’ll leave you two to... whatever this is.” With a wink, she walked off, leaving me alone with Draven.

“You’ve been avoiding me,” he said, his tone more serious now.

“I’ve been busy.”

“Busy avoiding me,” he corrected.

I sighed, knowing there was no point in denying it. “I just needed some space, okay?”

“Space from what?” he asked, stepping closer. “From me?”

“Yes,” I said, my voice barely above a whisper. “Because this... whatever we’re doing... it’s messing with my head, Draven. I don’t know what’s real anymore.”

His expression softened, and for a moment, I saw something vulnerable in his eyes. But then it was gone, replaced by that familiar cocky grin.

“You’re overthinking it,” he said, reaching out to brush a strand of hair behind my ear. “Just go with it.”

“Go with it?” I repeated, my heart racing. “That’s your plan?”

“Pretty much,” he said, leaning in slightly. “Unless you’ve got a better one.”

I opened my mouth to respond, but the words got stuck in my throat. Because the way he was looking at me—like I was the only person in the world—made it impossible to think straight.

“Draven—”

Before I could finish, he closed the distance between us, and before I even realized what was happening, his lips brushed against mine in the lightest, briefest kiss.

My brain short-circuited. What the f**k just happened? I stood there like an i***t, frozen, my heart slamming against my ribcage and my face heating up so fast I was surprised I didn’t burst into flames.

"Are you f*****g serious?" I finally blurted, my voice a little higher than I intended. My hands balled into fists as I glared at him, my cheeks burning. "You can’t just... do that!"

Draven chuckled, his lips curving into a smug grin. "See? You’re blushing again. Told you it wasn’t that complicated. You liked it."

I stared at him, my mind racing. Was this still part of the act? Or had we just crossed a line we couldn’t come back from?

“I hate you,” I hissed, but the shaky breath I let out betrayed me. "And stop f*****g smirking like you’ve won something."

His grin widened, and he leaned in just a fraction closer, enough to make my breath hitch. "No, you don’t. And we both know it."

And the worst part? He was right.