I flinch at the voice and spin around, spotting Lucas leaning against the wall, his arms crossed as he looks at me with furrowed brows.
“Jesus,” I breathe out. “You scared me.”
“Apologies,” he drawls. “Who was that?”
“Who?” I feign ignorance as I keep walking. He steps off the wall and trails behind me.
“Boyfriend?” he asks with a bite. “Need I remind you, you already have one of those.”
My eyes widen as I stop in place and turn around, face to face with him. “Excuse me?”
“You heard me.”
I let out a humorless laugh. “Okay, first of all, I am yourfakegirlfriend.”
“Semantics.”
I shake my head. “And second of all, what are you doing here?”
“I was coming to see Leila, but then you and yourboyfriendcame out together, and it caught my attention.”
He says the word with so much venom that it rubs me the wrong way. “He’s not my boyfriend. He’s just a guy from my class.”
His frown deepens. “Was that the same guy I saw you talking to the other day?”
“Yeah,” I say with a shrug. “So what?”
His eyes darken as he shakes his head. “What was my rule, Madeline?”
I lift my shoulder. “I don’t know, I don’t listen to you.”
He laughs, taking a step closer. “You’re such a brat,” he says, making my stomach plummet. “I specifically said there will be no dating other people while this thing between us is happening.”
I cross my arms. “I am not dating him,” I repeat. “He just wants to study.”
He scoffs, running a hand through his hair. “I think he wants to study your bedroom.”
“Unbelievable.” I let out a bitter laugh, dropping my arms. “It’s none of your business.”
“Are you kidding?” he says, narrowing his eyes. “This is definitely my business. Everything to do with you is my business, especially if you’re going out with guys when you’re supposed to be my girlfriend. Did you forget that one slip-up could make this all come crashing down?”
My brows furrow, but before I can say anything, he continues. “One mistake, one date, one kiss, and news could spread that you’re cheating.” My eyes widen. “Or that this was all fake. This isn’t just about me, Madeline. This is about you, too. Is that what you want?”
Of course not. “You don’t have to worry about that,” I tell him. “There won’t be any dates, and I told you I don’t kiss.”
His eyebrows shoot up. “I thought that was just with me?”
I press my lips together and look to the side. “No, it’s not.”
He’s quiet for a moment. “Is there a reason?”
“None that concerns you.”
He lets out a heavy exhale, his shoulders dropping. “I know you don’t like me, and since the first time we met, you’ve made me out to be the bad guy, no matter what I do.”
I glance up at him, seeing his brows tugged. “It was one hell of a first impression,” I tell him, not wanting to admit that I hate that he saw me that way.Weak.
“I’m serious, Madeline,” he says. “You might want to get back at me or whatever, but you need to be more careful. You can’t be sloppy, not when it comes to this. It’s going to be embarrassing if you’re on the cover with me one day and in some other guy’s bed the next.”
