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.
