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I 1 WILLOW Violet and I are returning from cheerleading practice when I decide to stop at the frat house. “Just for a minute,” I hooked my arm around my best friend’s, tugging her into the Omega house. “I left my economics notebook at Theo’s last night and want to get it back.” “Right.” Violet rolls her eyes, not believing me for one second. “You and I both know you’re dying to make out with your boyfriend. Just, hurry up. Try not to leave me hanging for too long.” Violet waits in the foyer. The hockey frat house usually comes alive at night. In the mornings, it mainly comprises of girls doing the walk of shame and guys dragging their feet towards the kitchen for coffee. I bound up the stairs, excitement blossoming in my chest at the thought of seeing my boyfriend. I’d been unable to attend last night’s party because I had to study for a test. After the test; there was cheerleading practice. The entire time, I’d been missing my boyfriend. Now, I’m here. I push the door open, expecting to see him playing call of duty. But he isn’t playing call of duty. Right there, on the mattress, is Theo, ra'mnming his /cok into some blonde chick’s center. Her back view looks familiar. The sound of the door opening causes Theo to pause. When he sees who’s standing there, he yelps and pushes the blonde off his di'ck. She squirms, hitting the mattress quite roughly. It’s Tessa. From the cheerleading squad. She’d opted out of practice today, claiming to be sick. Is this what she was up to? having fun with my boyfriend? “W-Willow,” Theo’s already getting out of bed, scrambling to put his briefs on. “It’s not what it looks like. I c-can explain.” Is he for real? What is there to explain? I grip the doorknob tightly, reeling in the urge to r*m my fist into his face. “I came here because I wanted to spend some quality time with you.” I scoff, shaking my head in disbelief. “I can’t believe you’re cheating on me, with some cheap sk'аnk from the cheerleading team.” “Hey bltch. Who are you calling a cheap sk'аnk.” Tessa pushes her weight onto her knees, gathering the sheets around her. “Listen closely—“ “Quiet,” Theo hissed, turning around to glare at her. “You’re not making this any easy.” “Oh please,” Tessa rolls her eyes. “You’re the one who’s planning to break up with her any day now. What does it matter what I say?” Theo visibly swallows. I don’t wait to hear anymore. I walk towards his desk and grab his PlayStation. I push the window open and hurl it out. It’s satisfying to hear it crack against the pavement. Next, I grab his laptop and fling it out the window as well. I’m reaching for his phone and tablet, when he seizes my wrist. He spins me around and both gadgets go crashing to the carpet. “Hey! What on earth do you think you’re doing?” Theo glowers, looking like he wants to shake me. “I bought that PlayStation a week ago. Do you have any idea how much it fking costs?” “You should have thought about your precious PlayStation before you decided to fcking cheat on me.” “So, I cheated. What’s the big deal?” Out of the corner of my eye, I see Tessa getting dressed, slithering back into her skimpy dress. “For fk’s sake Willow, you pull sh1t like this and yet, you wonder why I cheated.” “Are you seriously trying to gaslight me right now? How is your unfaithfulness my fault?” “Because you’re a fcking nutjob.” He tightens his grip on my wrist, enunciating each word for maximum effect. “Now, I’m wondering how in h-ll I dated you for so long.” He let go of me and I waste no time slapping him across his face. It’s obvious he wasn’t expecting it. Tessa gasps and I flip her off, kicking the door as I storm out of the room. I make my way downstairs and I see Violet, lazing on the couch, waiting for me. She shoots up to her feet when she spots me. Her eyes widen as she stares at something behind me. It’s Theo. He’s followed me. “Willow. Let’s talk about this.” He grips my arm, spinning me around. His voice must have sounded too loud because some of his hockey brothers are already gathering around the foyer, listening in on our fight. “There’s nothing to talk about. We’re done.” I twist my arm, trying to get away from his hold. “Let go of me.” “I agree. I made a mistake. Are you seriously going to throw away our entire relationship because I fked another girl?” “Yes,” I grind my teeth angrily. “I thought we were going steady. You’re the one who said you wanted us to be exclusive. And now what? You go behind my back and fk someone else?” “I’m a guy,” he explodes, spitting the words in my face. “What the fk am I supposed to do when you don’t put out as much as I expect you to?” “What?” I stiffen, going cold all over. “What did you just say to me?” “You heard me.” He lets go of my arm and points his finger in my face. At this point, we’ve got a full house listening in on our mortifying conversation. “You only want to fck when it fits your schedule and when it does happen, it’s boring. Nothing about se'xing you excites me Willow. And you wonder why I cheated.” Fk. This is bad. I can’t bring myself to look at anyone. They are all probably laughing at me right now. Whispering. Willow the prude. Willow the boring lay. Willow who can’t keep a man to save her life. “You know what? Fine. Let’s break up.” Theo takes a step backwards, away from me. “I know for a fact I won’t be missing out on anything— definitely not your lackluster sexual skills.” He’s smiling, mocking me with that condescending look. I feel Violet’s fingers slip into mine. I do not remember her leading me out of the Omega house. Do not remember getting home. All I can think of is my reputation. Theo Spencer fking cheated on me and ruined my fkn reputation, all in one go. II 2 WILLOW Today is regionals. Northwestern University’s hockey team is facing off against California’s Omega hockey team. It’s a freaking bloodbath out there on the ice rink. Both teams are already an hour into the game and after three solid intermission periods, the Omegas are in the lead. Theo is in the lead, supporting the offense squad to get the puck into the goal post. Every time our team scores, the cheerleading squad cheers loudly. But my heart is not in it, not when Theo’s out there, shining and dominating on the rink after he humiliated me. Every time I raise my pom poms, I feel like I’m going to be sick. I even flunk a few steps in our cheer routine. Thankfully, no one notices. No one except Violet. “Are you okay?” she asks me, raising her voice to be heard above the noise of loud cheers. “If you’re thinking about that аs hole right now, better get him out of your mind. He’s not worth it.” “I’m not thinking about him.” Just as I say it, Theo comes barreling towards the cheerleading squad. Before my very eyes, to my utter dismay, he takes off his helmet and claims Tessa’s lips in a deep kiss. In front of everybody. The crowd behind the board is going wild with excitement. The commentators are having a field day, talking about Omega’s star player’s unexpected display of affection. Theo’s back on the rink but that kiss—it’s all anyone can talk about. I want to die. The humiliation burns my throat. Makes my vision swim. My feet are already moving before I realize it. Luckily, Violet sees me marching towards Tessa and steps in front of me. “No,” she deadpans, eyes firm. “You’re not gonna confront her.” “Why not?” I fume. “She stole my boyfriend and now, they are rubbing their affair in my face. I can’t take it.” “I know. It suks. But think how bad a public confrontation, with that sk'аnk, would be for you. If you go to her right now, you give them more ammunition to use against you.” “It’s not fair,” I bite my bottom lip, fighting back the urge to scream. “Why do they get to have a fairytale when they both fckd me over?” “Calm down Willow and believe me when I say that this shlt will pass. Give it a week and campus will be gossiping about someone else.” She’s right. I know she’s right. It just suks to let my аs hole ex get away with everything he’s done to me in the last week. All week, he’s been flaunting Tessa at frat parties. Going on dates with her. Spreading rumors about what a prude I was during our relationship. As if that’s not bad enough, now they are kissing at hockey games, like some madly-in-love couple. I hate it. I hate it so much. I do not wish to let them get away with it so easily. There’s got to be something I can do. That is when I see him, tearing across the rink. All six foot five, hunk of male charm. Even in gear and paddings, it’s easy to make out the form of Aiden Cross, hot on the enemy’s tail. He’s feral in his pursuit and my breath hitches as he steals the puck from the enemy’s stick. He switches direction with the swift grace that only a pro can pull off and the crowd is going crazy as he passes the puck to another player. The Omega team pass the puck to one another, gliding towards the enemy’s goal post. Aiden is set to shoot. Once the puck finds its way into his stick, he doesn’t hesitate. He shoots, sending the puck into the net. Another goal for the omegas. The crowd goes wild, chanting his name. Aiden Cross. Omega’s number 1 offense player. An outright hottie— And Theo Spencer’s step brother. That’s right. Theo's got a brother, who attends the same university and plays on the same hockey team as he does. It’s no secret how much they hate each other. That’s only to be expected though, seeing as how they are nothing alike. While Theo is loud and a bit of a peacock, Aiden’s more of a brooder. A silent observer. I forget all about cheering, much too busy formulating a plan in my mind. The perfect revenge. A way to get back at Theo. The game continues for another hour but I barely notice the minutes shedding away. All I can think about is vengeance. I barely notice when the omegas score the winning shot. Barely hear the ear-splitting screams of the crowd cheering. The team is busy doing its victory dance on the rink, hooting and hugging. I watch Theo excuse himself from his teammates. He’s gliding towards Tessa, no doubt to make another public show of kissing her. That’s when I move. I do not hesitate. I dump my pom poms on the ice and make a mad dash for the rink. My heart’s racing, heart pounding. Please Aiden. Don’t push me off. Work with me. Just once. “Aiden!” I yell at the top of my lungs, hellbent on catching his attention. “Aiden Cross.” He turns around and my heart nearly stops. Somehow, my legs are still running, still carrying me forward. His helmet’s off and he’s got silky black hair playing in his face. I wait until I’m a couple of feet away from him before I jump. Adrenaline courses through my veins, morbid excitement sizzles as I wrap my arms around his neck and kiss him. He’s not kissing me back. I’m thinking I’ve made a mistake when his arm suddenly wrap around my waist. The other arm, he tucks it beneath my @ss, opening his mouth, as I deepen the kiss. I’m trying not to be nervous. I put everything I’ve got into this one kiss. I can only hope that everyone’s watching, else this would have all been for nothing. “Holy shhht,” one of the players guffaws, whacking the back of Aiden’s head with his stick. “Get a room, you guys.” We stop kissing. I look around the rink. More than half of the players are watching us, eyes wide open. Mouths agape. The reaction that excites me the most is Theo’s. He’s staring at us with his mouth hanging wide open, eyes blazing with fury. “So, Thompson…” Aiden’s deep rumble cuts through my internal celebration. His eyes are twinkling with amusement when I bring my gaze back to his. “… Care to explain what this is?” III 3 WILLOW The crowd is still cheering. Aiden is still waiting for me to say something. “I’m guessing this is about my… brother.” He whispers the words right beneath my ear, running his fingers along my butt cheeks. What the h*ll is he doing? I guess I put myself in this situation— to be groped and fondled. It’s why he’s taking full advantage of it. He squeezes my cheeks roughly and that’s when my brain comes back to life. “Aiden,” I squirm in his arms, untangling my legs from around his waist. My feet have barely touched the ice when Theo is suddenly in front of us. He’s seething, glaring at me and then Aiden. “What on earth is this?” He asks, pointing at the both of us. “Since when are you two an item?” “Why the fk do you care? What does it matter to you?” I’m doing a good job, pretending that his fury doesn’t affect me. Theo laughs sarcastically. “So, this is new then? I cheat on you and the next thing you do is move on to my brother?” “Who said I just moved on to him?” “So, you’ve been dating him longer?” He’s not laughing that sarcastic laugh anymore. He’s staring in disbelief. “Wait, don’t tell me you were having fun with him while we were still together?” People are watching us. With no small amount of interest. “You’ve really got some nerve, trying to turn this around on me.” I smirk, loving how red his face looks. “You’re the one who cheated. Why does it bother you that I’ve moved on to someone else?” Sorry Aiden for using you this way. I’ll find a way to make it up to you. I promise. “That’s my brother you’re talking about. You’re having fun with my brother. You b*tch.” “Come on now bro. That’s no way to talk to a lady.” Aiden steps in between us, blocking Theo’s view of me. “Get out of my way Aiden,” Theo snarls at him. “I’m not done talking to her.” “Actually… you’re done.” “What did you say?” “What’s the matter Spencer? You hard of hearing?” Aiden grins, facing off against his brother in a way that causes alarm bells to go off in my head. What the h*ll is up with this vibe? Surely they aren’t about to fight? That wasn’t part of the plan. Shlt. “Get out of my way,” Theo’s nostrils flare. “I’m not going to fkn ask you again.” “And why should I do that? So you can yell at my girlfriend some more?” Aiden’s comment takes Theo and I by surprise. I stare at him in shock, thinking I might have misheard him. Surely, there’s no way Aiden Cross is helping me right now? Calling me his girlfriend? “Y-Your girlfriend,” Theo sputters, unable to believe it. “So it’s true? You’re actually dating this prude?” “Aahh. The rumor.” Aiden’s grin only causes Theo to scowl harder. “She’s not a prude though. How can she be, when we’ve been going at it like wild bunnies? I’m sorry Theo, if Willow chose not to show you the wild side of her, well, I guess she didn’t like you enough.” The look on Theo’s face is priceless and I almost kiss Aiden again. Almost. I see Theo’s fists clenching at his sides. He’s thinking about hitting Aiden. I can tell. “Theo!” Tessa grabs hold of his arm. “That’s enough. Let’s go.” “Let go of me,” he growls. “Stop.” She begs. “Please… just stop.” She’s embarrassed. It’s obvious in the way she’s glaring at me with a mixture of jealousy and hatred. Great. That makes two of us. “This isn’t over,” Theo calls to us, as Tessa leads him away. Now, I’m left behind, with Aiden. I’m trying to work up the courage to apologize when the overhead speakers blare. “Willow. Willow Thompson. Please, report to the Dean’s office.” Huh. The Dean’s office? Why? What have I done? Is this about the almost fight between the Omega brothers? “I’m sorry Aiden. I have to go.” I can’t bring myself to look at Aiden. I break into a run, escaping the awkward conversation I was just about to have with him. *** Am I in trouble? Does the dean know about the almost fight between Theo and Aiden? Is that why I've been summoned? Don’t tell me I’m gonna be punished for ruining the hockey game celebration? In the dean’s office, my dad’s assistant, Terry Oxford is waiting for me. He’s wearing that pristine suit, stoic expression in place. Something about his presence at school sets me on edge. This isn’t about the Omega brothers and in a way, I’m relieved. “Terry. What are you doing here?” I try to sound normal and not panicked. What is he even doing here on campus? Did my father send him? I thought I made myself clear when I said I didn’t want any of them showing up at my school. “Forgive me, miss Thompson.” Terry tilts his head at a respectful angle and it’s so bizarre that up until three months ago, I didn’t have a family. Had barely two cents to scrape together. Now, I have a father. He had tracked me down somehow and has been working overtime to win my affections. If only it were that simple. “Your dad has been trying to reach you all week, Willow, but his calls keep going to voicemail.” Terry addresses me gently, almost as if he can tell that I’m nervous. “Don’t worry. You’re not in trouble. He merely sent me to check on you.” “I’m fine as you can see.” I take a calming breath. Great. I’m not in trouble. This is merely a check in. “I had a situation. Didn’t want to be disturbed. That’s why I deactivated my phone.” “I’ll let Mr. Thompson know.” Terry nods, already typing away on his phone, no doubt texting my dad. “In the meantime, he asked me to come fetch you.” “Why?” “There’s a masked event tonight. He wants you to accompany him.” “Wow. That sounds…“ I grimace, trying to find the right word. “…like torture.” I stare at the dean. He’s not even looking at us. He’s busy riffling through files on his table. “Mr. Thompson asked me to give you this.” Terry hands over a shiny credit card. “To go shopping for tonight.” “Right.” I take the card and squeeze it in my fist. “Well, as you can see, I’m still in my cheerleading uniform. I’ll have to change first before I go anywhere with you.” “That’s alright. Whenever you’re ready. I’ll be in the parking lot.” True to his word, he’s waiting when I approach the parking lot, freshly showered, duffel bag in hand. The masked event is a grand, lavish affair. From glittery chandeliers to sparkling champagne flutes, no expense has been spared for tonight. The moment I step into the event hall at the Dixon center, Cary Thompson is already waiting for me. Huge @ss smile on his face. IV 4 WILLOW I grew up in an orphanage. Poor. Never having enough. Always depending on the goodwill of the state system. Because I believed I’d been dealt the short end of the stick, I made sure to do everything the state expected of me. I poured all my energy into school. Got straight As. Scored a scholarship for college. My life seemed to be going exactly as I wanted it to go, unraveling on my own terms. But then, everything changed when Cary Thompson showed up one day, DNA test in hand. *** “Willow,” he kisses both my cheeks, eyes brightening as he takes in my cocktail dress. “You look lovely honey.” “Thanks,” I mumble, allowing him to lead me into the hall. “So, how was the hockey game?” He picks two champagne flutes off a valet’s tray and hands one over to me. “It was fine. We won.” I take a huge sip. “Exactly how long do I have to be here for, dad?” “Oh come on honey. You only just got here and now, you’re talking about leaving? Relax.” He chuckles. “Invites to events like this do not come easy. Besides, there are a few people I would like to introduce you to.” “I see,” I mumble, sounding unenthused. If Cary notices, he doesn’t comment on it. He leads me forward, showing me off to the people he recognizes in the crowd. He makes a few introductions. “Cary Thompson.” A middle aged man approaches us. He’s wearing a charcoal gray suit with a bow tie. He’s got jet black hair, that’s slightly beginning to gray. This man, he’s handsome in a rugged kind of way. There’s also something oddly familiar about him. “Spencer,” Cary shakes hands with him, grinning from ear to ear. Spencer? It suddenly clicks. He’s Theo’s dad. My ex-boyfriend had shown me a family photo over six months ago, and he’s the one who had been in the photo. I can’t believe he’s standing in front of me right now. How well does my dad know him? “Willow… allow me to introduce you to a good friend of mine. Spence, this is my daughter, Willow Thompson.” “Wow Cary. She’s gorgeous.” Spencer extends his hand for a handshake and it takes everything in me to keep my composure. “How are you Willow? I’ve heard quite a bit about you from your old man. It’s nice to finally meet you in person.” I bet he won’t be saying that if he knew how I’d just gotten in between his sons, mere hours ago. “Nice to meet you too.” I make myself smile. “So, you attend California state? My sons go to school there too. Theo and Aiden. You must have heard of them. They play hockey.” Kill me now. “Yeah. Um, I’ve heard of them. They are the reasons we won regionals today.” Spencer’s beaming with pride. Cary mentions something about getting both families together for lunch, sometime in the near future. I hope not. I’m already counting the minutes until I have to leave. It isn’t until Cary is pulled away to converse with a crowd of stuffy, middle aged folks, that I get a chance to make my escape. “You’re leaving?” Terry escorts me out of the building, seeing me off to where my Uber is waiting for me. “Yeah. Sorry. I have something important I have to take care of on campus.” A lie. But he doesn’t have to know that. “Tell my father I’ll link up with him for lunch later in the week.” “Alright miss Thomson. Have a good night.” He opens the Uber door for me. He doesn’t leave until the car’s safely on the road. On the ride back to campus, I call Violet. “Hey. Sorry I had to leave in such a hurry. I had a family thing. I’m on my way back now. Any chance we can meet up at Starbucks?” “Sorry. I can’t. I’m at Gary’s.” Gary is her boyfriend. A nerd from engineering. Definitely one of the cutest couples on campus. “So… what was up with that stunt you pulled on the ice rink today?” I knew this was coming. I groan. “Ugh! I was jealous, okay? I saw that di'ck head making out with sl'utty Tessa and all I could think of was a surefire way to hurt me.” “Oh, he was hurt alright.” Violet chuckles. “It seemed like he was about to rip Aiden to shreds before Tessa showed up to drag him away.” She laughs harder. Her laugh’s infectious and she’s got me on it. “Everything is such a fking mess,” I say in between laughs. “Yeah babe. Not to mention the fact that everyone is talking about it. I mean, everyone. They are calling you a heart breaker. Talking about how you’ve got both brothers wrapped around your fingers.” “That’s not true.” I snort. “I was just lucky Aiden didn’t push me off him.” “Yeah. About that… any idea why he let you kiss him so publicly?” “None.” I inhale a deep breath and let it out slowly. “I have no idea what had been going through his head while it’d been happening. One thing I do know is that I owe him an apology.” “You’re gonna apologize for kissing the school’s most notorious manwhore?” She scoffs lightly. “Oh please. I’m sure he was honored that you laid a free one on him.” I’m already at campus. Making the short walk to my sorority house. Campus is abuzz tonight, with studies still up, celebrating the win at regionals. Fireworks light the sky. Campus security is lenient with drunk students. “I’ll talk to you tomorrow Vi. Say hi to Gary for me.” I’m almost at the house. “Bye b*tch.” She makes kissy sounds before she hangs up. I’m all smiles as I cross the rose bush that separates the alpha phi house from the delta house. I round the corner and a scream tears out of my lips, at the sight of Aiden Cross sitting on the porch steps. V 5 WILLOW The last time I had spoken to Aiden was at an Omega party. He had smiled at me flirtatiously, pouring me a beer. That was a year ago, few weeks after I’d started dating Theo. And because I knew how hostile both brothers were towards each other, I didn’t let myself linger at the alcohol stand. I had accepted my beer and made my excuse. Since then, we’ve avoided each other, even though we run in the same social circles. I never thought I would get so entangled with a guy like Aiden until today. And now, he’s sitting on my porch, shhht eating grin in place, eyeing me speculatively as I approach. “What the h*ll was that about today?” he asks, once I’m close enough. “The ice rink. The public kiss. That nasty little fight with Theo.” “I’m sorry,” I blurt, hating the timing of this conversation. My plan was to talk to him tomorrow, once I had perfected the details of my apology. I guess I’ll just have to wing it. “I know I took you by surprise with that kiss. I never meant for it to happen. It just sort of did.” “Thompson.” He gets off the porch, rising to his full height. He stands over a foot taller than me. I’m grateful for the space between us. I don’t think I can bear close proximity with the pseudo-stranger I had kissed for revenge’s sake. It seems ridiculous now. The kiss. The public fight with Theo. “Do you know what everyone is saying?” he asks. Without waiting for my response, he continues. “They are calling you my girlfriend.” He laughs sarcastically. “I don’t do girlfriends, Thompson. How the fk are you going to fix this shlt?” “I don’t know right now but I’m sure I’ll think of something. Give me until tomorrow and I’ll find a way to remedy this situation.” I swallow down the lump in my throat, unnerved at the speculative way he’s staring at me. “My brother must have really done a number on you, seeing as how you stooped low enough to use me in making him jealous.” “That’s not—” I grit my teeth. “Fine. I used you to make him jealous. You must be aware about the rumors he’s been spreading about me.” “Are they true though? You being a prude and all.” He looks like he’s fighting the urge to laugh. “That hardly matters right now. Thanks to your co-operation, those nasty rumors have been laid to rest. Like I said, I’ll find a way to kill the girlfriend rumors tomorrow. You have my word. I also owe you a favor for helping me. I’ll try to pay you back as soon as I can. I could treat you to lunch or score tickets to a basketball game. My dad knows all sorts of people. I’m sure he can get me the tickets if I asked.” “Hmmm,” he muses. “I must admit, that sounds tempting.” A pause. “So, it’s really over? You and my brother?” “Yes,” I answer, without hesitation. “In that case, how would you like to keep the ruse going for a little longer?” “What?” I must have misheard him. “I don’t understand. Did you just say what I think it is you said?” He’s leaning against a pillar, lazing grin stretching the corners of his mouth, eyes half drooped in amusement. “Yeah Thompson. It’ll be fun.” Aiden is handsome in a bad boy sort of way. Wild, black locks. Scorching dark eyes, that somehow have specks of gold in them. A hard mouth that breaks into frequent grins. He’s a walking bag of contradictions, yet for some reason, he’d saved me today and now, he wants to keep the ruse going. “But what about that thing you just said about not doing girlfriends?” My breath hitches as he approaches me, getting all up in my personal space. But he doesn’t touch me. He merely takes my duffel bag, slinging it over his shoulder. “It’s not a big deal, sunshine. You want revenge on the di'ck who dumped you. I want the fun that comes with shoving our fake relationship in all of their faces. Think about how pissed Theo’s gonna be when he sees you at the frat house, wearing nothing but my shirt. He’s gonna lose his fking marbles.” His eyes are gleaming as he thinks about it. For all his talk about wanting to do this for fun, deep down, I know it’s personal on some levels. A cheeky, devious way to get back at his most heated rival. ”Let’s say we do this,” I exhale. “Exactly how long are we keeping up a ruse like this?” “A month, give or take.” He shrugs. “That should be enough time to ruin Theo, as well as his new-found relationship.” That sounds like music to my ears and of course, Aiden knows it. “So, you in?” “I’m in.” I square my shoulders. “We can start by going to a basket ball game.” “What is it with you and basketball? You a fan?” Is Aiden Cross mocking me right now? “Actually, I’m not. Theo’s a fan though. He’s been moaning for weeks about been unable to score front row tickets to the NBA finals.” “And you can?” his brows shoot up and he doesn’t seem to be mocking me anymore. If anything, he sounds impressed. I grin. “Yeah. I can get us front row tickets to the NBA finals. Theo’s going to die when he finds out. We’ll post pictures on IG and everything.” “Wow Thompson. You’re more devious than I thought.” He matches my grin and throws in a wink for the fun of it. “I like it. So, when’s the game.” “Two days from now.” “It’s a date then…” he pauses for a moment before he adds, “… girlfriend.” I know he’s playing around and that none of this is real. Yet, I can’t help the way my insides react to being called his girlfriend. “I’m not a prude, by the way.” I purse my lips. “Just in case you were wondering.” I’ll never know Aiden’s response to that tiny bit of information, because the house lights come on just then, lighting up the entire front yard. VI WILLOW I wake up to the sound of my phone buzzing. At first, I think it’s just my alarm but it’s not. Tate Mccrae blasts at full volume and Violet groans in her sleep. “Ugh! Willow. Will you answer that already?” She grunts. “Some of us are trying to sleep here.” Blindly, I search for my phone, disrupting random objects on my desk. Once I have it, I swipe left without bothering to check who the caller is. “Who’s this?” I growl, impatiently. I’ve never been a morning person and do not intend to start now. “Wow. Is that any way to greet your new boyfriend?” Aiden’s chuckle is a low rumble but it’s enough to rouse me awake. “Aiden,” I check the time. 6:50 a.m. “Do you have any idea what time it is? Why are you calling me so early?” “It’s almost seven.” He snickers on the other end of the phone, like it’s amusing to have disrupted my beauty sleep. “Er, is there any specific reason why you’re calling? Is this about the basketball tickets?” “What? No.” Again, he snorts. “You already promised you are gonna get the tickets and I believe you. This isn’t about that.” “What then?” I have creative writing class by 8. I’m already thinking of a way to wrap up this call, so I can get another half hour of sleep, when Aiden squashes my plans. “The reason why I called… Theo’s at the gym.” He adds. “He’s bound to walk by the coffee place on his way back to the frat house. If you can meet me at the coffee place in ten, then there’s a good chance of us rubbing our budding new relationship in his face. What do you think?” “Wow…” I’m up now, huge @ss grin on my face. At the last second, I remember to keep my voice at a minimum. The last thing I want to do is alert Violet to what I’d agreed to do with my ex’s step brother. Knowing Violet, she wouldn’t approve. She would just think that I’m crazy. Some scorned cheerleader on a revenge trip. While that’s the truth, I don’t think I can hear her thinking that about me. By some strange, unexpected turn of events, Aiden is the only one who understands and is willing to help me. “That’s some premium thinking, Aiden Cross.” I chuckle. “What can I say Thompson? Watching my brother suffer sure brings out the devil in me.” He is the devil alright. He’s handsome like one. “Alright. Give me ten minutes. I’ll be there as soon as I can.” By the time I walk into the coffee shop, Aiden has already ordered both our coffees. He’s sitting next to the most conspicuous window. From this angle, I doubt there are any passers who won’t be able to see us. “Hi devil,” I smile as I slide into the cushion across from his. “Whoa, how did you know what kind of coffee to order for me?” “Instagram,” he takes a lazy sip of his cappuccino, eyeing me from behind his coffee cup. “Are you wearing make up Thompson?” I scoff, narrowing my eyes at him. “How can you tell?” It’s easier to pretend to be annoyed than to show how embarrassed I feel at having been caught. “Your face is glowing with it.” His lips curl teasingly. “I doubt Theo will be able to see it properly from this angle though.” “I didn’t wear it for him,” I interject. “I have classes this morning and do not wish to show up to class looking like something the cat dragged in.” Aiden grins at that. “Besides, we all can’t look as good as you.” “You think I look good?” His grin grows wider and this time, I flush. “Don’t act like you don’t know this,” I snag my drink off the table and take a long drink. It tastes so good. “Sorry for teasing you,” he says, not sounding sorry at all. “So, how long does your ex spend in the gym before he gets a start on his day?” “Er…” I check the time on my phone. “We both share the same creative writing class. If he plans to attend the 8 a.m. lecture, then he should be out any moment from now.” Just as I say that, we hear the gym doors open, across the road. A moment later, Theo bursts out of the building, sweating up a storm; duffel bag in hand. Lightning quick, Aiden grasps my hand and interlaces our fingers together. I bite back the urge to squirm. “W-What are you doing?” “Trust me.” Dark, enrapturing orbs hold my own captive. Eyes are so intense, I can’t bring myself to look away and it’s uncanny how they were only teasing a moment ago. Now… they are scorching. “He’s watching us,” he quips, barely moving his lips. “How can you tell?” I blush, still holding his eyes. Aiden’s fingers are deliciously warm and my hand tingles everywhere he touches. He must notice by now how sweaty my palm is. Is he grossed out by it? How much longer do we have to hold hands like this? I don’t hate it. With Theo, our palms had always been sweaty whenever we would hold hands and I hated it most of the time. Now, holding Aiden’s much larger hand in mine, it doesn’t feel gross. If anything, it feels nice. “How can I tell?” Aiden smiles conspiratorially. “Would you believe me if I said I have eyes at the back of my head?” I snort at that. “Of course you do. It’s not like you’re a regular werewolf like the rest of us.” “Being an alpha’s son isn’t all it’s made out to be Thompson.” He stares out the window just then and I mirror his gaze. He is right. Theo’s standing on the sidewalk across the road, glaring daggers at our interlocked hands. The moment he notices us staring, he turns away from the window and storms off. VII 7 WILLOW I’ve got my meeting with my creative writing professor this morning. After my morning class, I head to her office. Of course, she’s expecting me. “Willow… take a seat.” She offers me the chair across her desk. “I graded your paper last night.” “Oh.” The paper she’s referring to is a short story I had turned in for mid terms. Granted, it’s not going to win any literary prizes anytime soon, regardless, I had poured a lot of hours into the piece. It deserves nothing less than an A. Right? Surely, that’s what she’s called me to discuss. “Honestly, the piece you turned in, it wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.” My heart sinks at those words. Sh1t. I can’t afford for my GPA to drop on top of everything else. “Oh. Wow. Sorry.” I shake my head numbly. “Um, so what’s wrong with the piece? What do I need to correct?” “What? No.” Professor Delaney is smiling at me. “There’s nothing wrong with your piece miss Thompson. I was actually just about to tell you that you got the highest score in the class. Infact, your piece is so good, I’m thinking of entering it into a short story contest. It’s why I called you. Wanted to ask your permission.” “Oh my god.” I definitely wasn’t expecting this. “That’s so amazing. I don’t know what to say.” “Say yes. You never know. Your story could win the prize.” Huh. “Okay.” I give in with a laugh. “That’s awesome. Go ahead and enter it.” I can’t believe this is happening. It still feels so surreal. “Whatever the outcome of the contest, this will be a nice feat to add to your resume. Also, about that recommendation letter you asked for, whenever you need it, feel free to come to me. I’m sure we can work something out.” “That’s so generous of you. I’ll bear that in mind. Thank you.” I had a meeting with Delaney at the start of the semester and I’d admitted that it’s my dream to work at the publishing house in New York City. Of all the werewolf packs in America, New York has got the most impressive collection of publishing houses and it’s my dream to work at the biggest. But I’m still a sophomore. Graduation is still two years away. I suppose right now, this is my way of laying the ground work for the years to come. Thinking ahead. That sort of stuff. Theo used to love that about me. In his own words, my ambition was one of my most attractive qualities. It’s too bad said ambition wasn’t enough to keep his attention in the end. My meeting with Delaney wraps up shortly afterwards. I haven’t got anymore classes until 3pm. I should call Violet and ask if she would like to hang out at our favorite coffee place. We do have some stuff to discuss anyways — specifically my plans with Aiden. Now that Aiden and I are pretending to be a couple, it’s better she hears it directly from me. I’m typing on my phone when someone pulls me out of the hallway. The hands clutching my arms are strong. They pull me out of the academic building and into the teachers’ lawn. It’s empty at this time of day and I count it as a small mercy as I glare at Theo. He’s staring right back at me but his eyes aren’t blazing like they’d been after he’d witnessed Aiden and I sharing a coffee. Why is that? Was he not jealous enough? Or maybe he suspects that it’s a ruse? But how? “Let go,” I say, voice low and filled with warning. Now, I’m glaring at his fingers still wrapped around my arm. He doesn’t let go. If anything, he tightens his hold. “What was that little stunt this morning?” he demands. He’s asking about the coffee shop but I pretend I don’t know that. “What are you talking about? You’re going to have to be more specific.” “Don’t play dumb with me.” He steps closer, forcing me to move backwards. “I saw you two. The way you were staring out the window at me, even while you were with him.” “What are you talking about? Seriously, let go!” “I’m talking about how you asked your boyfriend to meet for coffee first thing in the morning, just so you could rub it in my face.” Shift. How had he guessed the intent behind the meeting so easily? Were we being that obvious? Wait a second, Theo doesn’t know sh1t. There’s no way he knows. He’s probably just bullshitting me right now, trying to get me to validate his suspicions. “Now, why would you think that?” I scoff, looking at him like he’s crazy. His smirk only grows wider. Something about that smirk unnerves me. “For one, Willow, you aren’t a morning person,” he continues. “You know how many times I’ve tried to rouse you out of bed to go to the gym with me? Yet, there you were, getting coffee with my brother, because you knew I was would see you both together.” “You’re crazy.” My heart is racing and ringing loudly in my ears. I don’t know which is worse. The fact that he’d unraveled my motive so easily or the fact that I’d actually believed I could have a good day. I had let Delaney’s good news distract me, when I should have been on my toes. And now, I’m paying for it. “Listen Willow. I know I hurt you so bad.” Fuk that smug little look of his. I want to punch his face in. “But you have to accept the fact that I’ve got a girlfriend now and move on. No more staking outside my gym and stalking me like a little creep.” “I wasn’t stalking you. It’s not your gym either.” I seethe. “Frankly, I don’t care where you go or who you meet with, Theo. Seeing you outside the coffee shop today was merely a coincidence. An unfortunate one.” “Really?” He forces a laugh, sounding like he doesn’t believe me. “So, you weren’t there with my brother, just to try and make me jealous? Isn’t that why you’re dating him? To get back at me for hurting you?” VIII 8 WILLOW Theo is staring at me like he feels sorry for me. His grip loosens on my arms and I yank them away from him. I’m breathing hard. Never have I felt as humiliated as I do right now. Not even when he had spread those rumors about me. “Nothing about my relationship with Aiden has anything to do with you.” I put more distance between us. “We’re dating because we have feelings for each other.” “I don’t buy it.” He’s got that dark contemplative look in his eyes and I feel sick dread traveling up my spine. “I wonder what everyone would think if I were to maybe start a rumor about this.” “What kind of rumor?” I don’t realize I’m holding my breath until I feel my vision beginning to swim. To think I was so in love with this а-hole a couple of weeks ago. Now, I wish I can rip him to shreds with my bare claws. Not even werewolf security will be able to find his remains by the time I’m done with him. “Rumors about how you’re nothing but a pathetic little slvt, who would date her ex-boyfriend’s brother, just to get back at him. If you thought being called a prude was bad, wait until you start being called the nasty little b*tch, who got in between blood brothers.” “Like anyone is going to believe that! It’s no secret that you and Aiden don’t get along.” “Oh Willow. You think that’s going to matter once I start the rumors? Come on now. You of all people should know how much the students at this school love to gossip.” He’s right. If he is to spread this nonsense, no one would give a fck that it’s all lies. They would eat it right up and prey on me. I would be lucky if I make it out with my sanity intact. I had barely survived the prude attacks. Am I really going to survive something as vicious as this? I can’t help but wonder, would this be happening if I had just remained in bed rather than going to the coffee shop? Perhaps if I’d just stayed home, Theo wouldn’t be actively trying to ruin my life right now. “But then again… all of this doesn’t need to happen,” he’s saying, pleased with whatever he sees on my face. “I don’t have to go as far as actively trying to ruin whatever is left of your reputation. In exchange, I want you to break up with him.” “You’re joking.” A gust of air leaves my mouth. “You’ve got until the end of the day, baby.” He winks, and then, he’s gone. *** “He what?” Violet sounds hysterical on the phone. “That fking а-hole. I’m going to kill him.” She’s livid with rage but I’m not listening to her. I have to find Aiden. I had texted him a while ago but there’s still no answer. Calling him—that sht had gone straight to voicemail. “The nerve of that jerk, threatening you like that. So, it’s okay for him for cheat on you and get a new girlfriend but when you try to move on from him, you’re the villain? What a hypocrite.” “Do you have any idea where Aiden would be right now?” I ask, cutting her rant short. “I’ve checked the ice rink. He’s not there. He’s also not answering his phone.” “So, I need to get this straight. Are you and Aiden like a couple now?” she asks. “Sorry Willow. I know this is the wrong time to be asking that seeing as how you’ve got more important shhht to deal with.” “You’re right. This is not the right time to talk about it. But I promise you, Vi, once I have this situation sorted out, I’ll tell you everything.” “Alright. Hold on. There’s someone I can ask about Aiden’s whereabouts. Give me a minute. I’ll call you right back.” She hangs up. It only takes a minute but it’s the longest minute of my life. I’m on the other side of the school, on the field where the football players hold court. I keep to the bleachers, staring nervously at my phone, waiting for Violet to call me. My phone rings and I nearly drop it in my haste to answer. But it’s not Violet calling. It’s Aiden. His deep rumble feels like soothing balm on my overly stimulated nerves. “Thompson,” he calls simply enough. “What’s up? Any reason why you’re trying to reach me?” “It’s Theo,” I rush to say. “Look, I can’t get into specifics over the phone. Where are you right now? I’ll come meet you.” “Er,” he hesitates. It’s only then that I notice the noise in the background. “I’m actually not on campus right now.” “Oh. Okay, well, I can come meet you. Just tell me where you are and I’ll be there.” “You sure about that?” There’s a hint of amusement in his voice. “The place where I am, it’s no place fit for the likes of you.” “What’s that supposed to mean?” I snap. “Is this your way of calling me a prude? How about you save your breath? I already get the prude comments enough from your brother. I don’t need the school’s biggest red flag throwing that shift in my face.” “Whoa. Calm down,” he quips. “Alright fine. You can come. Whatever is happening, I can tell it’s bad if it’s got you this pissed. The sooner we can take care of it, the better.” “Just share your location with me. I’ll see you as soon as I can.” I grumble and hang up. Once I do, my phone starts ringing again, this time with an incoming call from Violet. “Hi Vi. Sorry. You must have been trying to reach me for a while.” “Don’t worry about it,” she assures me. “So, I reached out to Vince on the hockey team and he told me where Aiden’s at.” “And where would that be?” “Don’t freak out. Frankly, I was quite shocked when I heard it myself.” “What? Where is he?”