Page 104 of Heart of Thorns

“Yes, by you.” I force myself to stand still. To look her in the face, even when I want to run out the door and hide from this conversation. “This is a fake relationship, and it feels?—”

“Real,” she whispers.

“Yes.”Yes. It feels fucking real. “And I can’t do it.”

Her eyebrows lift. “Excuse me?”

“I can’t do real, Briar.” Fuck, why does this hurt so much? “This is my last season playing football, and I am not even thinking about the game. I’m thinking aboutyou. And I just need it all to fucking stop for five seconds. I won’t do this. I don’t even care that my parents didn’t believe our ruse. I’m losing sight of what I love most in life because of you.”

She stares at me. And stares and stares and stares.

My heart cracks. “Please leave.”

“Cassius—”

“Leave,” I order, throwing my hand out, one finger pointed toward the front door.

She bolts.

My gaze falls to Rhys, who is doing an admirable impression of a sleeping man. The front door slams, and his eyes crack open.

I let out a sigh, somehow feeling eight hundred times worse than I did two minutes ago. If I thought this was going to make me feel better… I was dead fucking wrong.

CHAPTER 33

BRIAR

“Aren’t you dating Thorne?”someone asks in passing on their way to the game.

I stop dead on the sidewalk and scowl at her, already annoyed that this random girl is wearing his number. She looks me up and down, as if she has no idea why he’s dating me.

Apparently, neither does he.

I don’t know how to answer her question. Am I dating him? Fake-dating, I mean? After I shoot her a dirty look, she stares at me strangely and scurries off toward the stadium.

Am I supposed to be going to the game and acting all lovey toward him like before? He said his parents didn’t believe our ruse, but I’m not sure if that means he’s calling it off or if he’s only wanting to act like we’re a couple in the public eye. Does it really matter? His parents are still trying to actively set him up on dates. They don’t really care if he is dating me.

I skipped out on our last PT session. He didn’t question it.

Instead of going to the weight room, I did exercises in my bedroom.

I don’t need him.

Hurt tangles my heart. His rejection stings. But what did I expect? This isn’t on him, it’s on me. I let myself get investedknowing that our relationship wasn’t going to last. It was based on a lie, a ploy. Yet, why does it hurt more than when I walked in on Ben cheating on me?

My phone buzzes as I walk in the opposite direction of the stadium.

I lose my breath with his name on the screen.

Cassius

Are you coming to my game?

The first thing I type is,No, I wouldn’t want to be a distraction.But I quickly click the backspace and refrain from acting hurt over this.

Me

I wasn’t sure if I was supposed to. Are we still fake dating or not?

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