Page 8 of From Fake Dates to Forever Goals

“And now? Sebastian Kane is more famous for who he’s dating than the number of goals he scores.”

“So, you hate him because he goes from relationship to relationship?” Annie asks, biting into her pen thoughtfully.

“No. What he does with his life is his business. I hate him because he’s arrogant and self-centered. He’s always had an ego the size of a stadium,” I say, rolling my eyes.

“Hmm,” Annie says, drawing the word out, clearly not convinced. “Something tells me there’s more to the story.”

She looks at me with that persistent, knowing stare, and I finally cave.

“Fine! Maybe there’s more to it,” I admit, perching on the edge of my chair.

Annie rubs her hands together, leaning in like she’s about to hear the juiciest gossip of the year.

“I may have had a... brief thing for him,” I mutter.

“What was that?” Annie smirks, leaning even closer.

“I did, okay? Idid!” I throw my hands up in surrender, the confession slipping out like a dam breaking.

“And?” Annie presses, her grin widening.

“And he’s a jerk!” I blurt. “I overheard him talking to his teammates, betting that he could ‘score’ with me by the end of the season. I confronted him, and it turned into this huge fight. He called me an entitled brat, and I called him an arrogant asshole. After that, any feelings I had for him were over.”

I let out a long breath, the weight of the hidden truth finally lifting.

“Well, people do change, Ava. Maybe he’s not the same guy he used to be,” Annie suggests.

“Oh, he’s definitely still the same guy,” I retort, snatching up the newspaper and tossing it onto the table.

I start pacing, the frustration bubbling up again. I know what I need to do, but the thought of asking Sebastian for anything makes my stomach churn.

“I know I should call him, but—” I pause, the anger building. “I just don’t want to give him the satisfaction of knowing he did me a favor. Ugh!”

I grab my phone, ready to call my father for Sebastian’s number, but suddenly my hand freezes mid-air.

“What is it?” Annie asks, watching me freeze.

“I can’t do it,” I admit, slumping back into my chair.

“You have two weeks, Ava,” Annie says gently, her worry mirroring my own. She’s seen how hard I’ve worked on this project. If I don’t figure something out soon, all my effort will have been for nothing.

“I’ll figure out something,” I say, trying to reassure her—and myself.

But deep down, with time slipping away, my anger toward Sebastian has started to morph into something worse: fear and disappointment. Everything I’ve worked for is hanging by a thread.

The next morning, I head to work with a heavy heart. I’d spent the entire night scouring for potential investors but turned up empty.

By eleven, my brain feels like it’s shutting down. I decide to take an early lunch, hoping the break will clear my mind. Shutting my laptop, I grab my bag and motion for Annie to follow me. But as I reach the door, I stop dead in my tracks.

Standing just outside my office ishim.

Sebastian Kane.

His brown hair bounces slightly as he turns, one hand tucked casually into the pocket of his khakis. His sunglasses sit perched atop a crisp white T-shirt, and of course, his smug smile is firmly in place.

Why does he have to look so damn good?

“What are you doing here?” I manage to ask, the rage simmering back to life.

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