Chapter 16: Playing the Part
880 Words
Chapter 16: Playing the Part
Kael Veyra’s POV
I couldn’t stop thinking about what Draven had said. The whole fake-dating idea was ridiculous, impulsive, and destined to blow up in our faces. But the worst part? It was already starting to make sense.
“Are you okay?” Livia asked, snapping me out of my thoughts. We were walking toward our afternoon lecture, and I realized I hadn’t said a word since we left the cafeteria.
“Yeah,” I lied, even though my mind was still racing.
We slipped into the lecture hall, taking our usual seats near the back. I was barely paying attention to the professor’s opening remarks when Draven walked in. As always, his presence commanded the room, and I hated the way my heart skipped a beat when his eyes found mine.
He didn’t sit in his usual spot. Instead, he made his way up the aisle and slid into the seat right next to me.
“Uh, hi?” I said, raising an eyebrow.
“Hi,” he replied, leaning back in his chair like he did this every day.
Livia glanced between us, her eyes wide. “What the hell is going on?” she whispered.
“Nothing,” I muttered, shooting Draven a warning look. But he just smirked, like he knew exactly what he was doing.
As the lecture droned on, I could feel the weight of Draven’s presence beside me. Every time he shifted in his seat or leaned closer to whisper a sarcastic comment, my pulse kicked up a notch. I hated how aware I was of him.
About halfway through the class, he leaned in again, his breath warm against my ear.
“You’re thinking about it, aren’t you?”
I turned to glare at him. “Thinking about what?”
“The plan,” he said, his voice low and teasing. “You’re wondering if it could actually work.”
“I’m wondering if you’ve completely lost your mind,” I shot back.
He grinned. “Maybe. But admit it—you’re considering it.”
I didn’t respond, because the truth was, he wasn’t wrong.
By the time class ended, my nerves were shot. I grabbed my bag and headed for the door, hoping to escape before Draven could corner me again. But, of course, he was already waiting for me in the hallway.
“Kael,” he said, falling into step beside me. “Let’s talk.”
“We’ve already talked,” I said, not slowing down. “And your plan is insane.”
“Maybe,” he admitted. “But it’s better than letting Sera win.”
I stopped walking and turned to face him. “Is that what this is about? Beating Sera?”
His expression softened, and for a moment, I thought he might actually tell me the truth. But then his cocky grin slid back into place.
“It’s about winning, period,” he said. “And right now, we’re losing.”
I shook my head, frustrated. “You’re impossible.”
“And yet, you’re still standing here,” he pointed out, his eyes glinting with amusement.
I hated that he had a point.
Later that afternoon, I was sitting in the library, trying (and failing) to focus on my reading, when my phone buzzed with a new notification. I glanced at the screen and felt my stomach drop.
It was another post on the gossip page—this time, a picture of Draven and me walking out of class together, with the caption:
Kael and Draven: Campus Power Couple in the Making?
“Unbelievable,” I muttered, shoving my phone back into my bag.
“Everything okay?” Livia asked, looking up from her notes.
“No,” I said, standing up abruptly. “I need some air.”
I headed for the exit, my heart pounding. The whispers, the rumors, the constant surveillance—it was all starting to get to me.
I stepped outside and took a deep breath, trying to calm the storm inside me. But before I could get my bearings, I heard footsteps behind me.
“Kael.”
I turned to see Draven standing there, his hands in his pockets, watching me with that infuriatingly unreadable expression.
“What do you want, Draven?” I asked, my voice sharper than I intended.
“To make sure you’re okay,” he said, his tone unusually serious.
I sighed, rubbing a hand over my face. “I’m fine. I just... I don’t know how much more of this I can take.”
“Then let me help you,” he said, stepping closer. “Let’s do this, Kael. Let’s give them something to talk about.”
I looked up at him, searching his face for any hint of what he was really thinking. Was this just a game to him? Or was there something more beneath the surface?
“And what if it backfires?” I asked quietly.
“Then we deal with it,” he said. “Together.”
My heart skipped a beat, and I hated how much I wanted to believe him.
“Fine,” I said finally. “But if we’re doing this, we’re doing it my way.”
He grinned. “Deal.”
- Writer
