Faking it with the Hockey Badboy

The buzz in the college cafeteria died the moment Chloe pushed the door open.

All eyes turned to her.

"Look," someone said, "she's here."

The sound of vibrating phones came from all directions, like a disturbed beehive. A girl in the front row stared at her screen, her lips curling into a smirk as she nudged the guy beside her.

The guy whistled. "Is this shit for real?"

Her stomach sank.

"Chloe!"

Jessica stood by the drink machine, holding up her phone, screen facing out. Her pink cheerleading uniform was blindingly bright.

"Come over," Jessica smiled. "We're admiring your…… writing."

Chloe walked forward, her legs feeling foreign. Whispers surged around her.

"About her stepbrother?"

"That's disgusting—"

"Shut up," Chloe said, but her voice was too weak

Then she saw Liam.

He sat at the far end of the long table, surrounded by the hockey team. His jaw was tight, his expression icy as he stared at the salad plate in front of him. Marcus was saying something, but Liam wasn't listening; the plastic fork in his hand looked ready to snap.

That expression hurt more than anything.

"So?" Jessica hopped onto an empty table, her heels clicking on the plastic surface. She raised her phone, adopting an exaggerated, dramatic reading voice. "'His fingers tracing my spine—'"

"Stop it!" Chloe's voice came out hoarse.

The entire cafeteria fell silent.

Jessica raised an eyebrow. "Why? It's well-written. Even if the subject is a little…… special." She deliberately glanced toward Liam. "'I wonder if he'd look at me that way—Liam.'"

Explosive laughter erupted.

"You stole from me," Chloe said, glaring at her.

"Oh, I didn't steal," Jessica blinked. "Someone posted it on the forum. An anonymous thread. Screenshots are in every group chat." She paused, her smile turning venomous. "Seriously, you have a crush on your stepbrother? Don't you have nightmares?"

"We're not blood-related." The words were out before Chloe could stop herself. Idiot.

"So it's true?"

Liam stood up.

He walked through the crowd and stopped right in front of her. Too close. She could smell his usual minty body wash—the same scent that lingered in their shared bathroom at home.

"Chloe," he said, his voice low. "Tell me this isn't true."

She couldn't open her mouth.

"Answer me." He took a step closer. "You wrote that…… about me?"

She looked into his eyes. Those green eyes she'd secretly sketched countless times now held nothing but disgust.

"Liam, I can expl—"

"Is it true?"

A flashback—yesterday afternoon, outside the locker room. Jessica had him pinned against the lockers, kissing him. Chloe had walked past.

Liam saw her, froze, and pushed Jessica away.

Jessica turned and glared. "Get lost, freak."

Chloe stopped. "Leave him alone. You were with Marcus just last month—"

"None of your business?" Jessica walked over, her perfume overpowering. "What's wrong, little stepsis got an opinion?" She leaned close, her breath hot against Chloe's ear, voice dropping to a whisper. "Just wait, Chloe. I'll make you regret ever opening your mouth."

"She's admitting it!" Jessica's voice dragged Chloe back to the present. Jessica jumped off the table, walked to Liam's side, and placed a hand on his arm—he didn't shake it off. "See? She's a creep. Living in the same house as her, aren't you afraid she'll crawl into your bed at ni—"

"Enough."

The voice came from the back of the crowd.

Ethan Thorne stepped out.

Black T-shirt, jeans, hands in pockets. The crowd parted for him automatically. He looked at Jessica first, then at Chloe.

"Quite the party," he said, his tone lazy. "Discussing erotica?"

Jessica's smile stiffened. "Ethan, this doesn't concern y—"

"Yes, it does." He cut her off, walking to the center. "You're talking about that thing in Chloe's notebook?"

"You know about it?" Liam frowned.

"Know about it?" Ethan shrugged. "Isn't it about me?"

Dead silence.

Jessica was the first to react. "What? It clearly says Liam's na—"

"Nickname." Ethan said, his expression unchanged. "She calls me 'Liam' in private. Little inside joke. Problem?"

"You're lying! That story is about having a crush on her stepbrother—"

"What everyone saw was a cropped, out-of-context screenshot." Ethan turned his face to her, his eyes turning cold. "You posted it, right? Deliberately cut off the part with my name at the beginning?"

"I did n—"

"Want me to check the forum's backend IP? Or ask the admin which phone that anonymous account last logged in from?"

Jessica's face paled.

Ethan turned to Liam. "Just a misunderstanding, man. Chloe wrote about me. She's got a way with words, huh?" He even offered a small smile. "Though I prefer the practical application."

Someone stifled a laugh.

Liam's expression cracked. "But…… why would she use my name? And when did you two—"

"Recently." Ethan said. Then he walked over and wrapped an arm around Chloe's shoulders.

His arm was heavy. Chloe froze.

"Meant to keep it low-key," Ethan raised his voice, looking around the room. "But since it's blown up this much……" He looked down at her, a perfect, practiced smile curving his lips.

"Let me formally introduce," he said, his voice clear. "My girlfriend, Chloe Miller."

Time stopped.

Jessica's eyes widened. Liam's mouth hung open. Everyone around them stared, stunned.

Ethan's arm tightened, pulling her closer to his side. His lips nearly brushed her ear, his voice dropping to the barest whisper. "Wanna get expelled? Play along."

He straightened up, his smile easy. "Show's over, folks. Scatter." He waved a dismissive hand at the crowd, his gaze sweeping over Jessica. "And anyone who shares that screenshot again…… I won't mind having a lawyer chat about invasion of privacy. Let's go, babe."

He half-guided, half-pushed her to turn around. The crowd parted silently.

At the door, he stopped and looked back.

"Oh, right," he said, as if just remembering. "Party tonight. Chloe's coming with me. Feel free to verify."

He pushed the door open. Sunlight stabbed at their eyes.

He led her to a secluded spot behind the main building before letting go.

Chloe stumbled back three steps, her back hitting the brick wall.

"You……"

"Saved you." Ethan leaned against the opposite wall, took out a cigarette, and put it between his lips unlit. "Don't mention it."

"Why?"

He lifted his eyes to her. "Why what?"

"We don't even know each other! You didn't even know my—"

"Miller." He cut her off. "Your last name is Miller. Second-year psych major. Works at the library Tuesdays and Thursdays. Likes the second seat by the window. Orders a latte with double sugar but never says it out loud." He paused. "Familiar enough?"

She froze.

He smiled, and this time it held a trace of genuine mockery. "Don't look at me like that. I need a girlfriend to deal with my family. You just happen to need an alibi. Transaction."

"What transaction? I never agreed—"

"Two choices." He took a step forward, his shadow falling over her. "One, I go back in there and say I was just joking, the screenshot really is about Liam. You remain the school's biggest joke, get shunned until you probably drop out, and your relationship with your stepbrother is ruined."

Her nails dug into her palms.

"Two," he held up two fingers. "Be my girlfriend until midterms. Put on a show in public, go our separate ways in private. Until midterms from now, we break up 'peacefully.' That little story will be forgotten because there'll be juicier gossip by then—like, oh, Ethan Thorne got dumped again."

He tilted his head. "Choose."

The distant class bell rang.

"Why me?" she asked.

"Because you're invisible enough. Won't cause trouble." His answer was blunt. "And because Liam hates me."

She was taken aback.

"Him and Jessica? I know." Ethan rolled the unlit cigarette between his fingers. "You messed that up, so now they both want to ruin you. And I…… happen to enjoy pissing off people I dislike." He smirked. "Childish, but effective."

"So you're doing this to get back at Liam?"

"Partially." He admitted. "The other part, I told you, I need a girlfriend. My father thinks I'm 'unstable,' needs a 'good influence.' You look the part. Bookish. Parents would approve."

"I'm not bookish."

"But you look it." His gaze swept over her. "That's enough."

The clock tower chimed in the distance. She closed her eyes, then opened them.

"Fine."

Ethan raised an eyebrow, seeming slightly surprised by her quick agreement. "Alright. Rule one: Don't ask me why. Rule two: Don't take it seriously. Rule three……" He started to turn away, then stopped, glancing back over his shoulder.

"Seven tonight. South Gate. Wear a dress. Not……" He eyed her jeans. "……that."

"Wait," she called out. "How did you know today……"

"Jessica was hinting about a 'good show' in the group chat yesterday." He said flatly. "I was just here to watch."

"Then why did you……"

"Because," he interrupted, and this time his smile held something sharp, "when you stood up and told her to stop reading, your hands were shaking. But you didn't cry. That was…… interesting."

He walked away.

Chloe slid down the wall to sit on the ground. Her phone buzzed in her pocket, the screen flooded with notifications.

"WTF you and Ethan???"

"Seriously???"

"Since when……"

She locked the screen and buried her face in her knees.

In the distance, the cafeteria doors opened, and people streamed out. Liam walked ahead, Jessica chasing after him and grabbing his arm, only for him to shake her off. He glanced in Chloe's direction.

Three seconds.

Then he turned and walked away.

She hugged her knees tighter.

Until midterms.