CHAPTER 2
Ava
6:00 p.m.
I stared at the black business card for what had to be the hundredth time.
I still couldn't believe I was actually doing this, but I had to, because my name is already going viral as his girlfriend.
Taking a deep breath, I dialed the number.
It rang only once.
"Right on time," Liam's deep voice came through the speaker.
"Where are you?" I asked.
"Outside your dorm."
My eyes widened.
I rushed to the window, and there he was.
Leaning casually against his Porsche like he'd been there all along.
I grabbed my bag and headed downstairs.
The moment he saw me, he smiled.
"How about we go somewhere more private? I can see a few campus reporters lurking around. Plus, you must be hungry."
I didn't have time to say no because the next thing he did was grab my wrist and lead me towards the parking lot.
All I could do was follow him.
We got to his famous Porsche car, and he opened it. He went around and opened the passenger seat for me.
I stepped in, still unsure of what the hell was going on.
The entire ride was quiet. It lasted for all of five minutes, but it felt like hours in slow motion.
When we finally arrived at a quaint cafe, he took my hands and left me inside.
It was empty save for a lone older man at the corner.
Heyes pulled out my chair for me and got ready for me to sit. I did as he said.
He waved a waitress over and told her to take my order.
"I don't want anything, thank you." I said in a whisper.
"Pack her an order either way." Hayes said to the waitress who was smiling from ear to ear.
Probably happy to serve Liam Hayes.
As soon as the waitress left, I asked.
"What is going on?"
"It's pretty simple, Ava." The way he said my name felt so personal, like he'd been using that name for years.
*I know it sounds crazy, but I'm in dire need of a girlfriend."
"I find that very hard to believe."
"Why, thank you." He smirked, a teasing wink accompanying the words. "But it's true."
I folded my arms across my chest.
"You're telling me the Liam Hayes needs a girlfriend?"
"I need one everyone believes is my girlfriend."
"There's a difference?"
"A huge one."
I leaned back in my chair, studying him carefully.
Everything about him screamed confidence. The expensive watch on his wrist. The tailored hoodie with his team's logo. Even the way he sat looked effortless.
Nothing about this man suggested desperation.
"So why me?"
His smile faded just enough for me to notice.
"Because my public image is a mess."
I frowned.
"What are you talking about?"
"You don't follow hockey news?"
"I barely follow hockey."
He chuckled softly.
"That explains why you have no idea who I really am."
"I know you're the captain. That's about it."
"And that," he said, pointing at me, "is exactly why you're perfect."
I blinked.
"What?"
"My ex has been making the rounds on every podcast and entertainment show she can find. According to her, I'm arrogant, impossible to date, and completely incapable of commitment."
"So... prove her wrong by dating someone else?"
"Not exactly."
His expression changed, and immediately, the teasing disappeared from his face.
"I don't want people to simply see me with a girlfriend, Ava."
I frowned.
"Then what do you want them to see?"
Liam leaned back in his chair.
"A man who finally found someone worth protecting."
I stared at him.
"What?"
"The cold, untouchable hockey star who finally stands up for someone. I want them to see me as someone loyal, dependable, and who doesn't treat women like disposable accessories."
"Huh? You want to pretend to be a good person?"
His mouth twitched.
"I want people to stop believing I'm the worst version of myself."
I studied him carefully.
"And I'm supposed to help you do that?"
"And not just that."
I stared at him curiously.
"After what happened at the arena, everything changed."
I frowned.
"What do you mean?"
Liam leaned back in his chair.
"My PR team expected people to spend the day talking about your confrontation with Nic. Instead, they started talking about me."
I blinked repeatedly.
"You?"
"Every sports page, every campus blog, every entertainment site. They all picked up the moment I stepped in."
He slid his phone across the table.
The headline read:
OLYMPIC STAR DEFENDS HUMILIATED STUDENT LIVE ON TV.
Another headline read:
LIAM HAYES PRAISED FOR STANDING UP TO CHEATING ATHLETE.
Liam looked back at me eagerly.
"People aren't seeing you as the girl who caused a scene. They're seeing you as the girl who was publicly humiliated. And they're seeing me as the man who stood up for you."
"Someone different from who Brittany painted me to be."
I let out a short, disbelieving laugh.
"So that's what this is? You saw a girl having the worst day of her life and thought, Great. I can use this."
I shook my head bitterly.
"You men really are unbelievable."
To my shock, he responded calmly, "If that were true, I would've walked away after I said that, but instead, I asked you to meet me here because I need your help."
He held my gaze and said, "My father's campaign team loves it, because my father hates it when I show up on scandal scenes...but when he saw how I stood up for you, he believed in me," he admitted.
"To be clear, none of this was planned. When I stepped in yesterday, I wasn't thinking about campaigns or headlines. I was thinking that Sterling was humiliating someone on live television, and someone needed to stop him. "
"My campaign team only realized afterward that people were responding positively to it."
"They think it makes me look loyal, dependable, and protective. Exactly the kind of image they're trying to build before the election."
"You're serious."
"As a heart attack."
"So your father is turning my humiliation into campaign material?" I asked.
"No. They're responding to what already happened. We aren't creating a story. We're trying to manage one that's already everywhere," he responded smoothly.
"And what do I get out of pretending to be your girlfriend?"
Instead of answering, he reached into the inside pocket of his jacket and pulled out a neatly folded document.
A contract.
He slid it across the table toward me.
"Six months," he said. "Attend a few games, charity events, and public appearances with me. Smile for the cameras. Pretend we're disgustingly in love."
I looked at the contract and gave it back to him.
"And in return?"
A slow smile tugged at the corner of his mouth.
"I'll pay you."
I almost laughed.
"I don't think you can afford the amount it'd take for me to agree to something this insane."
"You'd be surprised."
He uncapped a pen, wrote a figure on the last page, then turned the contract around for me to see.
The moment my eyes landed on the number...
My breath caught.
"You can't be serious." I blurted out.
"Trust me, I am."
"But why? Why not date someone else?"" My brows furrowed, needing to understand.
He was quiet for a moment before speaking.
"Because if I suddenly appeared with some famous influencer or a model, everyone would assume it to be a fake relationship easily."
He pointed at her.
"But if it happened to be you?"
"The whole country already watched me defend you, so even if we start dating now, people won't question it. They'll believe our relationship simply started from there."
"So your solution is to make me part of your public image? After everything that happened today, that's your plan?" I was so pissed off.
"That's only part of it."
"You're decent, and a decent person is what I need to combat my ex's smear campaign."
"Just how bad are these claims?"
"Bad...very bad. Let's just say there is some family friction involved."
"I see." I nodded, still incredibly skeptical...
Liam Hayes could get anyone he wanted. Why, a girl from Queens on a scholarship that could be taken away from me any moment.
"You can sleep on it. I have time. Not much, but I have time."
Something about the way his eyes shone told me an entirely different story.
There was a level of impatience in his eyes. I had seen that look before in my father. It was his; he lost everything.
I let out a sigh. This was not how I thought my day was going to progress. Not even in the slightest.
I didn't know I was going to find out my secret boyfriend was cheating on me, and I certainly didn't think I was going to meet anyone willing to pay six figures for me to fake a relationship with him. It made no sense.
None of it did.
"Don't think about the logistics too much. I got you, I promise. Just help me like I helped you earlier."
"I didn't ask you to help me!"
"Trust me, you need it. The headlines would have been very much different if I hadn't intervened. If anything, you should be thanking me."
"Oh, my God, you're insane!" I glared.
*Believe me, I've been called worse."
"Little fucking wonder. You're an asshole!"
"Telling the truth doesn't make me an asshole."
"Fuck you."
"I could arrange that if that's something you'd be into."
"Oh my God. I'm done. I should have known you couldn't be trusted." I said and stood up from my chair.
What a cocky bastard.
"Wait." He said, but I was already on my way out of the cafe. I wasn't about to let a rich, spoilt brat insult me just because he had saved me from complete embarrassment.
I was already outside when he caught up to me.
He grabbed me by the elbow and spun me around.
"Let go of me!" I jerked my hand away.
"I'm sorry. I'm sorry, I'm sorry. That was stupid of me.
"It was. Jesus, I just went through a major heartbreak; I don't need this right now."
"I know, and I'm sorry for being insensitive."
My glare softened.
"Please, help me. I promise to tune down the assholery."
I stared at him for a long moment before finally letting out a sigh.
"I'll think about it."
I said, and he smiled.
That night I couldn't sleep, couldn't even finish my assignment that was due at midnight.
The events of the day kept playing over and over again in my head like a broken record.
Did I really want to dive into the world of the rich and powerful?
Especially Liam Haye's world?
I didn't know the answer to this, and the worst part was I couldn't even tell anyone about my plight.
I had to make this decision alone. Not because I wanted to, but because it was meant to be confidential.
My phone suddenly rang, and I dived into my bed and picked it up.
It was my mom.
Not Liam.
Of course it wasn't him.
"Hey, Mom. "I tried to make my voice more chirpy than I felt.
It was funny. I hadn't even had time to fully process the betrayal from Nic.
"How's my pumpkin doing?" My mom's voice poured through the phone, easing my stress just a little.
"I'm okay, Mom. How are you doing?" I asked, hoping the answer was good.
"Oh, good."
"No, she isn't. She had another episode today."
I froze at my little sister's voice.
"Oh, my God. Are you okay? Why didn't anyone call me? Did you hit your head?"
I asked in rapid successions, my heart in my throat.
"I'm fine. Ignore Hanna. She is just being dramatic."
"No, she isn't, Mom. I hate when you do that. You know you are not fine. Just tell me. I feel stressed when I find out these things days after."
"I'm fine, I'm fine. I woke up way before Doctor Stanley got here."
"That is not an excuse, God. Do you still have your medications?"
"Yes."
"No, she has barely two left. Don't listen to her. " Hannah was closer this time. She sounded annoyed at Mom. I wasn't surprised. Mom and Hanna never saw eye to eye, especially with Mom's insistence on downplaying everything.
It didn't help that I didn't have any money on me right now.
I let out a tired sigh.
"Okay, three more, right?"
"Yes."
"How's Dad doing?"
"Not well."
I knew, but I had hoped he had miraculously gotten a job.
"Alright then. Don't worry, I'll send the money for the medication soon."
"Sweetie, focus on school; you don't have to worry about me."
But I indeed had to worry.
"Of course." I hung up.
The number Liam had written flashed through my mind.
I hated myself for thinking about it.
But it was enough to pay Mom's medical bills.
And I could just stand there and watch my mother wither away, but I couldn't just dive into something that was bound to put me in a situation that was out of my league.
