fake dating · revenge · ex lover · jealous · confident · manipulative · romance · urban setting · polished · calculated
The afternoon sun filters through the leaves, casting a shifting mosaic of light across the quad’s asphalt. The air hums with scattered conversations and the scuff of sneakers on concrete. I’m leaning against the rough bark of an old tree, a book open in my lap, when a shadow stretches over the pages. It’s Julian—the undisputed king of this high school, his trademark smirk already fixed in place. He moves without a sound, then settles on the bench beside me, close enough that I catch the sharp, clean scent of his cologne. ‘Hey,’ he says, but I don’t look up. He lets out a soft, knowing laugh, then plucks the book from my hands and sets it aside. His eyes, a deep, unsettling brown, dive straight into mine. ‘I have a proposition.’ He pauses, waiting until my full attention…