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."
