Lila POV

"If you tell Ryan one single thing about our past," she said sweetly, "I'll make sure he knows the real truth about who the bully really was."

My blood turned to ice. She was going to lie about everything. Make Ryan think I was the mean one.

"Sweet dreams, little sister," Cassandra whispered, her voice like poison.

"You look terrible," Derek said as I walked into school the next morning.

I felt terrible too. I had barely slept all night, thinking about Cassandra's threat and the fake dating deal I had made with Derek. My eyes were red and puffy from crying, and I probably looked like I had been hit by a truck.

"Thanks," I muttered, trying to walk past him.

But Derek grabbed my arm gently and pulled me to the side of the hallway.

"Hey," he said, his voice softer than I expected. "Are you okay? You look like you've been crying all night."

I stared at him in surprise. Was Derek Stone actually being nice to me?

"I'm fine," I lied, pulling my arm away from his touch.

"No, you're not," Derek said firmly. "Something happened after I left you last night. What was it?"

Before I could answer, I heard a familiar laugh behind me. My blood turned cold as Cassandra's voice filled the hallway.

"Good morning, everyone!" she called out sweetly.

I turned around and saw her walking toward us with Ryan's arm wrapped around her waist. She looked absolutely perfect - blonde hair shining, cheerleader uniform fitting her like it was made by angels, smile bright enough to blind someone.

And she was staring straight at me with those evil eyes.

"Derek!" Cassandra said with fake excitement. "I didn't know you were friends with Lila!"

"We're not friends," Derek replied, but his voice sounded strange. Almost protective.

"Oh," Cassandra said, tilting her head like she was confused. "Then why are you two standing so close together?"

I felt panic rising in my chest. This was it. This was where I had to start pretending to be Derek's girlfriend, in front of Ryan and Cassandra. The two people who could hurt me the most.

Derek must have felt my panic because suddenly his arm was around my shoulders, pulling me against his side.

"Because Lila is my girlfriend," Derek announced loudly.

The hallway went completely silent.

Ryan's mouth fell open in shock. "What did you just say?"

"You heard me," Derek said confidently. "Lila and I are dating."

I felt like I was going to throw up. Ryan was staring at me like I had just grown two heads, and Cassandra looked like someone had slapped her.

"That's impossible," Ryan said, shaking his head. "Lila hates you. She told me a million times that she can't stand you."

"People change," Derek said with a shrug. "Sometimes love happens when you least expect it."

Love. The word hit me like a punch to the stomach. This was all fake, but hearing Derek say it in front of Ryan made my heart do weird things.

"When did this happen?" Cassandra asked, her voice sharp with suspicion.

"We've been seeing each other secretly for a while," Derek lied smoothly. "But we decided to make it official last night."

Last night. When my whole world fell apart.

"Lila," Ryan said, his voice filled with confusion and something that might have been hurt. "Is this true?"

I opened my mouth to speak, but no words came out. How could I tell him the truth? How could I explain that I was being blackmailed into this fake relationship?

Derek's arm tightened around me, reminding me of our deal.

"Yes," I whispered, the word feeling like poison in my mouth. "It's true."

Ryan looked like I had just stabbed him in the heart. "But you said you hated him. You said he was arrogant and mean and that you never wanted to talk to him."

"I was wrong," I said quietly, hating every word that came out of my mouth. "I was just scared of my feelings."

Cassandra was watching this whole conversation with a smile that made my skin crawl. She was enjoying watching me lie to Ryan. She was enjoying watching me hurt him.

"Well," she said sweetly, "this is certainly surprising. Derek Stone and little Lila Richmond. Who would have thought?"

The way she said "little Lila" made me feel thirteen years old again. Small, weak, and completely helpless.

"Yeah," Derek said, his voice getting dangerous. "Who would have thought?"

There was something in his tone that made Cassandra's smile falter for just a second. But then she recovered and turned to Ryan.

"Come on, baby," she said, running her fingers through his hair. "We should get to class. I want to show you my new cheer routine before practice."

Ryan nodded, but he kept looking back at me as they walked away. His eyes were filled with confusion and hurt, and I felt like crying all over again.

"That went well," Derek said once they were gone.

"Well?" I snapped at him. "Did you see Ryan's face? He looked like I had betrayed him!"

"Good," Derek said coldly. "Maybe now he'll stop treating you like you're invisible."

I stared at Derek in shock. "What is that supposed to mean?"

"You know exactly what it means," Derek said, his green eyes staring into mine. "I see the way you look at him, Lila. I see the way you follow him around like a lost puppy. And I see the way he ignores you like you don't exist."

My face burned with embarrassment. "You don't know anything about my relationship with Ryan."

"I know more than you think," Derek said quietly. "And I know that maybe it's time someone paid attention to you for once."

Before I could ask what he meant, the bell rang and students started rushing to their classes.

"Walk me to history," Derek said, taking my hand in his.

His hand was warm and strong, and I felt that same weird electric feeling I had experienced last night. But I pushed it away. This was all fake. Derek was just a good actor.

As we walked through the hallways, I could feel everyone staring at us. Derek Stone and Lila Richmond, the bad boy and the quiet girl. It was like something out of a movie.

"People are staring," I whispered.

"Let them stare," Derek said, squeezing my hand. "You're beautiful. They should stare."

I looked up at him in surprise, but his face was unreadable.

We reached my classroom, and Derek stopped outside the door. Before I could say anything, he cupped my face in his hands and leaned down like he was going to kiss me.

"Derek, no-" I started to say.

"Trust me," he whispered against my lips.

Then his mouth was on mine, soft and warm and completely unexpected. The kiss was gentle but firm, and I felt my knees go weak. For a moment, I forgot this was all fake. For a moment, I forgot about Ryan and Cassandra and all my problems.

For a moment, it felt real.

When Derek pulled away, I was breathing hard and my heart was racing.

"See you at lunch, girlfriend," he said with that cocky smile, then walked away.

I stood there touching my lips, completely confused about what I was feeling.

But as I turned to go into my classroom, I saw Ryan standing at the end of the hallway, watching me. His face was dark and angry in a way I had never seen before.

He started walking toward me, his hands clenched into fists.

"Lila," he called out, his voice sharp and dangerous.

Other students in the hallway stopped to watch. Ryan never talked to me at school. Ever.

He reached me in three long steps, his eyes blazing with something that looked like fury.

"We need to talk," he said through gritted teeth. "Right now."

Before I could answer, he grabbed my wrist and started pulling me away from my classroom.

"Ryan, what are you doing?" I asked, stumbling to keep up with him.

But he didn't answer. He just kept walking, dragging me through the hallway like I weighed nothing.

And from behind us, I heard Cassandra's voice, sweet as poison:

"Where are you taking her, baby?"

Lila POV

"Ryan, stop! You're hurting me!" I cried out as he dragged me through the hallway.

But he did not stop. He did not slow down. He did not even look back at me.

I could hear Cassandra's voice behind us, calling his name over and over. "Ryan! Baby, where are you going? Ryan, wait for me!"

He ignored her completely. It was like she did not exist.

Students jumped out of our way as Ryan pulled me along. Their eyes were wide with shock, their mouths open with curiosity. This was not normal. Ryan never talked to me at school, and he certainly never touched me like this.

We reached the stairs, and Ryan kept moving. He dragged me down the first flight, then stopped suddenly at the corner where no one could see us. The space was small and dark, hidden from the main hallway.

He released my wrist and stood there, breathing hard. His chest was rising and falling like he had just run a marathon. His eyes were burning with an emotion I had never seen before.

Anger. Pure, raw anger.

"Ryan, what is wrong with you?" I asked, rubbing my wrist where his fingers had gripped too tight.

"What is wrong with me?" he repeated, his voice getting louder. "What is wrong with you, Lila?"

I took a step back. Ryan had never yelled at me before. Never.

"I do not understand," I whispered.

"You do not understand?" Ryan laughed, but it was not a happy sound. It was bitter and cold. "Let me explain it to you then. Last night, I lost the biggest game of my life. My dreams died on that ice because of Derek Stone. And today, I find out that my own sister is dating him?"

The word "sister" felt like a knife in my heart. That was all I would ever be to him. Just his sister.

"Ryan, it is not like that," I started to say.

"Then what is it like?" he demanded, stepping closer to me. "Because from where I was standing, it looked exactly like that. You were kissing him, Lila. In the middle of the school hallway. Where everyone could see you."

My face burned with shame. The kiss had been Derek's idea. Part of the act. Part of the deal. But I could not tell Ryan any of that.

"He is my boyfriend," I said quietly, the lie tasting like ash in my mouth.

"Your boyfriend?" Ryan's voice cracked on the word. "Since when? Yesterday you hated him. You told me a hundred times that he was arrogant and mean. You said you would never speak to him. And now he is your boyfriend?"

I stayed silent because I did not know what to say. Everything was so complicated. Derek had my secrets. Cassandra had my past. And Ryan had my heart without even knowing it.

"You know what this looks like, right?" Ryan continued, his voice getting angrier. "It looks like you waited until I lost. It looks like you waited until Derek destroyed my career, and then you ran straight into his arms. Like you were celebrating my failure."

"No!" I cried out, tears burning my eyes. "I would never do that to you! You have to believe me!"

"Then explain it to me!" Ryan shouted. "Because right now, Lila, I feel like you stabbed me in the back. Right after my worst moment, you go and kiss my biggest enemy. Do you have any idea how that makes me feel?"

His words hit me like punches. I had never thought about it that way. I had been so focused on keeping my secrets safe that I had not considered how this would look to Ryan.

"I did not betray you," I whispered, my voice shaking.

"It sure feels like you did," Ryan said coldly.

The pain in his eyes was breaking my heart into a million pieces. He looked hurt, confused, and angry all at the same time. I wanted to tell him everything. I wanted to explain that this was all fake, that I did not want to be with Derek, that the only person I wanted was him.

But I could not.

"Ryan, please listen to me," I begged. "Derek and I-"

"Derek and you what?" Ryan interrupted. "Are in love? Going to get married? Have babies together?"

"No! It is not-"

"Not what? Not serious? Because that kiss looked pretty serious to me."

I took a deep breath, trying to gather my thoughts. I had to say something. I had to make him understand without revealing the truth.

"I did not betray you," I said again, more firmly this time. "The timing was just bad. I did not plan for any of this to happen."

Ryan stared at me with those beautiful eyes that had haunted my dreams for three years. "You could have anyone, Lila. Anyone in this entire school. Why him? Why the one person who destroyed everything I worked for?"

Because he is blackmailing me, I wanted to scream. Because he has my secrets and I have no choice.

But the words stayed trapped in my throat.

"I cannot explain it," I said finally. "I just-"

The sound of high heels clicking on the stairs cut me off. My heart dropped into my stomach as I recognized that sound.

Cassandra appeared at the top of the stairs, her blonde hair perfect, her smile sweet as poison.

"There you are, baby!" she called out to Ryan. "I have been looking everywhere for you!"

She started walking down the stairs toward us, and I felt my whole body go tense.

No. Not now. Not here.

"Ryan," I said quickly, desperately trying to finish what I was saying. "I did not betray-"

But Cassandra had already reached us, and she wrapped her arms around Ryan like he belonged to her.

And maybe he did.

Lila POV

Cassandra wrapped herself around Ryan like a snake coiling around its prey.

"Baby, why did you run off like that?" she asked in that sweet voice that made my stomach turn. "I was so worried about you."

Her hands were everywhere. She touched his chest, his arms, his face. Every touch was deliberate, and every touch was meant for me to see. She wanted me to watch her claim him. She wanted me to feel the pain of seeing the boy I loved belong to someone else.

And it was working.

"I needed to talk to Lila," Ryan said, his voice still tense with anger.

"About what?" Cassandra asked innocently, tilting her head to the side. "What could possibly be so important that you had to drag her away like that?"

She looked at me with those cold blue eyes, and I saw the warning in them. The same warning she had given me last night. Keep your mouth shut, or I will destroy you.

"About her new boyfriend," Ryan said through gritted teeth.

"Oh, Derek!" Cassandra said with fake excitement. "Yes, I heard about that! How exciting for you, Lila. You must be so happy."

The way she said "happy" made it sound like a curse word. She was enjoying every second of this. Watching me squirm. Watching me suffer.

Ryan was still staring at me, waiting for answers I could not give him. But now Cassandra was here, touching him, reminding me of my place. Reminding me that I was nobody. Just the quiet stepsister who did not matter.

"I have nothing to say," I said finally, my voice flat and empty.

Ryan's eyes widened in shock. "What do you mean you have nothing to say? I asked you a question, Lila."

"And I answered you," I replied. "I have nothing to say about my relationship with Derek. It is none of your business."

The words felt wrong coming out of my mouth. Everything about this situation felt wrong. But what choice did I have? I could not tell him the truth. I could not explain that Derek was blackmailing me. I could not reveal that Cassandra was my childhood bully. I was trapped in a web of lies and secrets that grew bigger every minute.

Cassandra smiled at my response. She actually smiled. Like she was proud of me for finally learning my place.

"See, baby?" she cooed to Ryan, running her fingers through his hair. "Lila is a big girl. She can make her own choices. Even if those choices are... questionable."

I wanted to scream at her. I wanted to tell Ryan everything about who she really was. But the fear kept me silent. The fear of what she would do to me if I spoke up.

"I am leaving," I announced, turning away from them both.

I could not stand there anymore. I could not watch Cassandra's hands all over Ryan. I could not see the hurt and confusion in his eyes. I could not pretend that any of this was okay.

I took one step toward the stairs.

Then Ryan's hand shot out and grabbed my wrist again, yanking me back so hard that I almost lost my balance.

"Ryan!" I gasped, pain shooting through my arm.

"You are not going anywhere," he said, his voice low and dangerous. "Not until you give me a real answer."

Cassandra's smile faltered for just a moment. She had not expected this. She thought Ryan would let me go. She thought her presence would be enough to make him forget about his anger toward me.

But she was wrong.

"Let me go," I said, trying to pull my arm free.

His grip only tightened. "No."

"Ryan, you are hurting me," I whispered.

"And you are hurting me," he shot back. "Do you understand that? You are hurting me, Lila. By being with him. By keeping secrets from me. By refusing to explain yourself."

Tears burned in my eyes, but I refused to let them fall. Not here. Not in front of Cassandra. I would not give her that satisfaction.

"I do not owe you an explanation," I said, my voice shaking. "You are not my father. You are not my boyfriend. You are just my stepbrother."

The words hit him like a slap. I saw him flinch. I saw the pain flash across his face before the anger returned.

"Just your stepbrother?" he repeated slowly. "Is that what I am to you?"

No, I wanted to scream. You are everything to me. You are the reason I wake up every morning. You are the reason I go to every game. You are the reason I wrote all those stories.

But I stayed silent.

"Baby," Cassandra said softly, touching Ryan's arm. "Maybe we should just leave her alone. She clearly does not want to talk."

"Shut up, Cassandra," Ryan snapped.

Both Cassandra and I stared at him in shock. Ryan never talked to anyone like that. Especially not to his girlfriend.

Cassandra's face turned red with anger, but she quickly hid it behind another fake smile. "Okay, baby. Whatever you say."

Ryan turned back to me, his eyes blazing. "Do not push me, Lila. I am serious. Do not push me right now."

"Or what?" I asked, my voice barely above a whisper.

"Or I will lose my mind," he said through clenched teeth. "I need to know. I need you to tell me right now. Are you really dating Derek Stone? Is he really your boyfriend?"

The question hung in the air between us like a bomb waiting to explode.

I opened my mouth to answer, but the words got stuck in my throat.