CHAPTER TWO

BRIANNA'S POV

My heart was pounding so hard against my ribs that I was certain he could feel it through the heavy fabric of his varsity jacket.

I was caught in a vice—trapped between the scorching shame of my truth and the terrifying safety of his lie.

“Did she lure you in to save her sorry ass too? What did she offer you? A one night stand?” Imogen snarled, that familiar smirk of her dangling on her lips.

Whispers exploded. I could feel that familiar lump forming at my throat already.

Mikel suddenly let out a snarl that wiped the smirk off her face the next second. He pulled me closer to him and the weight in my chest lessened seeing him standing up for me.

“If you're so interested in our private life as a couple, well I'll give you an inspo. She's more hot in bed than you ever can. And I don't need her to lure me, she's my damn obsession already."

I froze and for no reason my heart began beating fast and I felt my cheek blush red. Maybe it was just the sincerity in his words or it was just my fucking heart playing that dumb joke on me again.

I should be fucking angry. I was a damn virgin and hadn't even had my first kiss yet, and he just slandered me!

Mikel leaned down, his lips brushing against my ear. His voice was a low, dangerous velvet that only I could hear.

"Say it, Brianna," he hissed. "Stop making me look like a fool and butt in here. Tell them you are indeed my girlfriend, or the whole school goes back to talking about how you want to sleep with your brother. Your choice."

A sob caught in my throat.

I looked at Kenneth. His expression had shifted from disgust to a bewildered, hurt confusion that sliced me open.

If I denied this, the notebook pages were still there. The stepbrother references were still there. This was the only exit, even if it felt like walking into a different kind of fire.

I had to take this chance. I had to do this for myself.

"It's true," I whispered, my voice cracking. I cleared my throat and forced the words out louder, though they tasted like ash. "We’re dating. I... I've liked Mikel for a long time. The story was about him."

The words felt like a betrayal to my own soul.

I had saved my reputation, but I had just looked the only person I ever truly loved in the eye and told him he meant nothing to me. That I had no affection toward him.

Imogen’s face turned a violent shade of purple. Why wouldn’t it? Her grand finale had been dismantled by the school’s most untouchable guy.

"You're lying," she spat, jumping down from the platform. "There is no way Mikel would touch a freak like her."

Mikel didn't even blink. "You want proof, Imogen?"

Before I could breathe, he shifted his hand from my shoulder to the nape of my neck. He tilted my head back and pressed his lips to mine.

My eyes widened involuntarily.

It was my first kiss.

It should have been soft, or sweet, or at least private. Instead, it was firm, unexpected, and broadcasted to three hundred people and yet I found myself leaning into his touch. But before I could savor, he pulled away.

I stayed frozen, my damn heart racing.

The cafeteria erupted into a fresh wave of chaos—this time, it was shock rather than mockery, but yet it felt like a background noise.

And somewhere between all those chaos, my senses suddenly responded and I was dragged toward the presence.

Without thinking, I shoved past him, ignoring the burning heat in my cheeks and the way Kenneth was staring at the floor and… I bolted.

I ran until the air turned cold and the smell of Zamboni exhaust filled my lungs.

I collapsed onto the bottom row of the bleachers near the hockey rink, clutching my bag to my chest.

Tears finally blurred my vision, fat drops splashing onto my jeans. I hated myself. I hated that I was invisible until I was a punchline. I hated that I was the weird stepsister who could never measure up to girls like Imogen.

"You're a fast runner for someone so small." His familiar voice echoed beside me.

I stiffened.

Mikel was leaning casually against the plexiglass, looking like he hadn't just blown up my entire life. In his hand, he was twirling a crumpled, torn page from my notebook—the original page, not a digital copy.

"Give that back," I snapped, standing up and wiping my face aggressively. "Did you do this? Did you help her spread it just so you could play the hero?"

It did feel like an accusation but I was trying to find my sanity. Why on earth will he help me? He was the notorious Playboy so he could have done it to humiliate me and just play the hero just for fun.

Mikel froze his hands lowering as I snatched the paper from him.

“Why would you think that?" He mouthed.

“Well your reputation doesn't quite paint you a saint," I rolled my eyes.

Mikel shrugged, his smirk infuriatingly smug.

"I found it in the hallway after your little run-in with the cheer captain yesterday. And for the record, I just saved your dignity. That kiss? That was a charity act, Brianna. You should be thanking me."

My mouth went dry. As much as I wanted to scream at him, the logic was undeniable. He had given me a cover story that people actually believed because of his status. He had saved me and stood up for me when everyone looked at me with disdain.

"What do you want, Mikel?" I asked, my voice trembling. "Guys like you don't do charity for free."

He stepped closer, the playboy persona dropping. His expression was suddenly gravely serious. "I’m failing British History and if I don't pull an A on the final, I’m benched for the playoffs. My scout reports go up in smoke."

He suddenly leaned closer, pouting his lips. "You’re the smartest girl in our year. You’re going to tutor me every night until I pass, won't you?"

"No," I whispered.

He drew backwards, his brows furrowing. “Really? I mean I just saved your ass and this is the least you can…”

"I’ll tell Kenneth…I’ll tell him you're blackmailing me." I cut him off, my voice stern

Mikel didn't flinch, instead the smirk returned to his face as he leaned in again, his shadow looming over me. "Go ahead, tell him and while you’re at it, tell him exactly what you wrote on page fourteen. The part about the shower? I think he’d find that reallll interesting."

Panic surged in my gut.

I'd called out Kenneth's name instinctively cause I normally used him and his name for protection but now he just got me connected. He had me. He had every single card in his hand.

I swallowed hard not showing him how much his words affected me.

I tried to turn away, but my bag slipped from my shoulder, hitting the concrete. The zipper gave way, and dozens of loose-leaf pages—my private stories—scattered across the floor.

Mikel reached down, snatching a few before I could.

He began to read aloud, his eyebrows shooting up. "‘The way the sweat curled his hair at the nape of his neck... the tension of the locker room...’" He stopped, looking at me with genuine disbelief.

"Wait. You’re the Ghost Writer? The one who posted those anonymous stories on the school forum last year?"

My stomach dropped into my shoes. I grabbed for the papers but he pulled back, a smile dangling on his lips.

“You really are! Oh damn this would be big news for the school." He beamed

"Don't you dare!” I stepped hard on his shoe and the satisfaction of watching him groan in pain was ecstatic.

I grabbed the papers from his grip before he could recover. “Loser!" I stuck my tongue out, feeling every bit of victory.

He stepped into my personal space, his fingers grazing my shoulder as he looked down at me. The smugness suddenly wiped off my face and suddenly I felt my heart racing.

"You’ve got a lot of making up to do, Brianna," he murmured, his voice dropping an octave. "You’re going to fix my grades, you’re going to fix my reputation as a 'distracted' player” His pinky finger rubbed against my nose and finally he pulled back.

I swallowed hard. "I still won't tuto..”

"Choose your words carefully. The school bratty Playboy just saw your secret and you know I'm really bad at keeping secrets but maybe—just maybe—if you agree to it, I’ll forget I ever saw these."

All admiration was wiped off immediately.

Bastard! He was blackmailing me.

"You’re ruining my life," I whispered, the tears threatening to spill again.

Mikel didn't back away. He leaned down, his breath warm against my neck, a ghost of a smile on his lips. "I didn't ruin it, sweetheart. I’m about to spice it up."

CHAPTER THREE.

BRIANNA'S POV

I spent seventeen years being the girl people walked into because they genuinely didn’t see me standing there.

I was the human equivalent of background noise. But stepping into the hallway this morning the silence didn't follow me, murmurs did.

"There she is. The stepbrother-lover turned captain’s girl."

"Did you see the video? She looked like a deer in headlights. Totally pathetic."

The whispers were like tiny papercuts. It all happened yesterday and they still wouldn't let it go.

I clutched my A-level textbooks to my chest so hard the edges dug into my palms and every time a phone camera flashed in my peripheral vision, I felt a fresh wave of nausea.

I ducked my head, my hair falling like a curtain to shield my face, and bolted for the one place where silence was mandatory: the library.

I found the furthest corner in the back, tucked between the dusty stacks of the Geography section where no one ever went.

I sank into a wooden chair, burying my face in my hands. I just wanted to wake up. I wanted to go back to Monday when my only problem was wondering if Kenneth liked the way I made his coffee.

"Hiding won't make the internet go away, Brianna."

I jumped, my chair screeching against the linoleum.

Mikel was leaning against a bookshelf, looking entirely too comfortable for someone in a library. He wasn't carrying a single book. He just stood there, thumbs hooked into his pockets, watching me with that maddeningly calm expression.

"Go away," I whispered, my voice thick. "You've done enough."

"Actually, I haven't done nearly enough," he said, pulling out the chair next to me and sitting down. He didn't care about boundaries; he sat so close our knees brushed.

"Do you have any idea what’s happening out there? That kiss is currently the most viewed video on the school’s 'Spotted' page."

"I don't want to know," I snapped, starting to feel irritated. He caused all this and ever since yesterday Kenneth hadn't said a thing to me.

"Too bad you don't have a choice." He flipped his phone around and slid it across the table.

My heart sank.

It was a thread with hundreds of comments.

Some were calling me a 'social climber,' others were making memes of my shocked face during the kiss with captions like 'When the fanfic becomes real.' But the worst were the ones dissecting the 'stepbrother' rumor, calling me a predator and a freak.

"This is all slander!," I breathed, the reality hitting me like a physical blow. "My dad... if he sees this... Kenneth will never speak to me again."

"Exactly," Mikel said, his voice dropping. He pulled his phone back. "Right now, the only thing keeping people from dragging you out into the courtyard and shaming you for real is me. As long as you're mine, you’re off-limits to the bullies. Imogen can't touch you without going through me."

I looked at him, hating the smug tilt of his lips, but hating the truth even more. He was my only lifeline in a sea of sharks.

"You're enjoying this— the control and the leverage aren't you?"

"You bet," He winked and I flashed him a dead glare. He let out an awkward chuckle waving me off.

"I'm a pragmatic guy, Brianna. I see a win-win situation here and I know you see that too."

No matter how much I wanted to shove the ‘No’ response in his face, I just nodded knowing he was right. The smug look on his face instantly made me regret my response.

"Here are the terms. You tutor me three days a week in the library, show up to the home games and wear my jersey and help me fix my reputation so the scouts think I’m settling down with a nice, studious girl instead of partying my way out of a scholarship. In exchange? I will be your human shield and make sure no one touches you, no one mentions the notebook and Imogen stays out of your hair."

"What are you trying to drive at?" I gave him a questioning look.

“Be my girlfriend. I mean we have no choice but to play out the part we already made known yesterday."

I bit my lip, the taste of copper filling my mouth. I was trapped. If I said no, I was the girl who loved her brother. If I said yes, I was the puppet of the school’s biggest ego.

"I'm only agreeing if the relationship is fake," I stated firmly, staring him in the eye. “And completely, no more kissing and no touching unless people are watching."

Mikel leaned in, his scent—that expensive, woody cologne—filling my senses. A dark flicker of something passed through his eyes, something that felt far more dangerous than a school rumor.

"Do you think I'd date you for real? Oh please dummy, this is fake as a three-pound note," he murmured, his voice sending a traitorous shiver down my spine. For some reason my heart clenched even though I wasn't expecting any good response.

"But you better make it look convincing, Brianna. I don't like losing." He added, his voice stern.

I looked at the empty seat across from me, imagining. "Fine," I whispered. "I’ll do it."

Mikel grinned, a sharp, predatory expression. "Good girl. Now, shouldn't we set some rules?" He asked.

“I…” Suddenly the bell rang signalling the end of break.

I let out a sigh getting on my feet and shoving my backpack on my back.

"Let's meet by 6pm today okay? We had start your tutoring then too." I said.

His brows furrowed. “You don't need to run off at every ringing bell, we could just sit here and talk this through."

I let out a snarl, a pathetic looking dumbass. I wasn't getting influenced by him.

I turned to leave but before I could, his hand suddenly shot up and before I could steady myself, I lost my balance, falling right into his arms.

I swallowed hard, staring at those green eyes and suddenly that racing effect of my heart came rushing back.

CHAPTER FOUR

MIKEL'S POV

I’ve spent three years watching Brianna from the edges of my vision.

To the rest of the school, she was a ghost in a chunky sweater, but I’d noticed her back in freshman year—the way her nose crinkled when she was thinking, that sharp, dry wit she’d whisper to herself in the back of the class, and, yeah, the fact that she was undeniably cute in a way that didn't require three layers of foundation.

I’d played it cool, but the cafeteria disaster had handed me the perfect opening.

Leaning back in my chair as she agreed to my terms, I felt a surge of adrenaline that had nothing to do with hockey.

Coach had been breathing down my neck all morning, his face turning a dangerous shade of purple as he waved my mid-term grades in my face. “One more D, Mikel, and you’re watching the playoffs from the bleachers.” Failing wasn't an option, but neither was letting Brianna slip back into Kenneth's grip.

Now, having her in my arms was a test to my self-control. My gaze moved from those beautiful blue eyes of hers to her lips. And Oh fuck, how I wanted to kiss them until she was breathless and aching into my touch.

“I think someone has to keep to her rules" I mumbled, forcing a sly smile, trying to steady my racing heart.

She stumbled to stand upright as if snapping out of her daze. She looked away immediately but I could see the blush on her cheek clearly and that was enough to tell me, I've got a chance.

"Okay, we meet by 6pm. But for now if you don't want to miss class, let's go, girlfriend,'" I said, offering my hand.

She stared at it like it was a coiled snake before slowly placing her smaller, colder hand in mine. We walked out like that—hand in hand.

As we walked out of the library and into the main hall, every head turned, every conversation died and all their gaze were fixed on us.

I swallowed hard trying to not leap for joy. Only I know how much I've waited for this day, waiting to walk hand-in-hand with her as my girlfriend.

I laced my fingers through hers, pulling her slightly closer to my side. I could feel her trembling, but I leaned into the silent brag.

Every jealous glare from the guys and every shocked gasp from the girls was a hit of pure dopamine.

As we turned the corner, Brianna’s steps suddenly slowed, her gaze fixed forward. I traced it and there stood—Kenneth.

He was there flanked by his teammates, looking like some kind of king. Imogen was tucked under his arm, her eyes narrowed into slits.

The second Kenneth saw our joined hands, his face contorted and immediately, he stepped forward, blocking our path.

"What is this, Mikel?" Kenneth spat, his voice vibrating with a fury he usually reserved for the rink. "You’re actually doing this? Using her to get to me?"

"I don't need to use anyone to get to you, Ken," I said, my grip on Brianna’s hand tightening. I felt her tense, ready to bolt, but I stepped in front of her. "Maybe I just recognized what you were too blind to see. She’s too good for your little sister box, she's better off as my girlfriend."

"Oh please, we both know she isn't your girlfriend," Imogen shrieked, her voice echoing off the lockers. "This is a pathetic show you came up with and I'm sure you two probably haven't even spoken two words to each other before today!"

A sly smile grazed my lips but instead of explaining to her— which I was pretty sure her IQ was too low to understand— I gently pulled Brianna’s palm upward and placed a soft peck on it.

She wringed but didn't push me away and that alone and the burning hurt in Kenneth's eyes was the taste of victory

Kenneth took another step closer, his fists clenched. "Let go of her."

I was ready to drop my bag and settle this right there, but suddenly, Brianna pulled back, snatching her hand off my grip

"Enough!” She yelled, her hands clenching and unclenching. “Can you two just stop this!" I gave her a curt nod.

“You heard her, she said you…”

"Stop it, Kenneth," she said, her voice surprisingly steady as she cut him off. "There's no need for you to pretend to be my overprotective brother"

“It’s fucking ironic how you only noticed me when I became a scandal and the last time I checked, you didn't care where I was or who I was with yesterday morning, so don't pretend it kills you now. It’s not fair, and… it’s too late."

The hallway went dead silent. Kenneth looked like she’d punched him in the gut. He just stared at her shocked and the warmth of satisfaction spread through me.

"I wonder what you offered him to speak to Kenneth in that manner. But let me remind you, no matter what you do, Mike is a Playboy and when he's done ruining you down there, he'll move to his next target.” Imogen's voice rang and I had to ball my fist so as to not punch her in the guts. I don't hit women.

I knew she was trying to stand up for her boyfriend and now, I was going to ruin that and put her in her place.

“You wouldn't need to worry about that but trust me the next time you send me those irritating nudes of yours, I'd upload it to the hockey platform. And trust me, you'd get more popular than you ever can.”

The color drained from her eyes immediately. Kenneth's gaze move to hers. "You send him your nudes?”

"He's lying. He's trying to slander me because…” Her voice trembled trying to sound pathetic and regaining faith.

"Really? Good thing I've got proof, I think I've got one you sent me yesternight." Before she could stop me, I pulled out my phone, typed in her name and shove the proof in her boyfriend’s face.

His face went white. “You're..

You're seducing him?"

I clenched my fist trying hard to fight a laughter that was threatening to spill through.

Kenneth looked at Imogen, then at the phone, his face a mask of dawning horror and embarrassment. He looked pathetic.

"We're done here," Brianna said. She didn't wait for me this time. She started walking, and I had to grab my phone and hurry to catch up, intertwining our hands again, even though all I wanted to do was watch the drama unfold.

Once we were around the corner and out of sight, she stopped abruptly and wrenched her hand away from mine, her eyes blazing. The shy, trembling girl from the library was gone.

She stood tall, her eyes flashing with an assertion that caught me off guard.

"New rules, Mikel," she said, pointing a finger at my chest. "You don't speak for me, you don't use my life to settle scores with Kenneth and if you ever pull a stunt like that 'evidence' thing again without telling me, the deal is off. I tutor you, we play the part in public, and that is it."

I stared at her, stunned into silence. Shouldn't she be proud and happy I did this for her?

Before I could say anything, she stormed off into the class.