Page 52 of Faking It For Real

"Don't be ridiculous," I snapped, with enough heat to confirm her suspicions.

"Oh boy," she sighed, pulling up a stool. "I was afraid of this."

I continued sorting photos, trying to appear unaffected. "There's nothing to be afraid of. Everything's under control."

"Really? Because that's your third copy of the same photo, and you've been staring at it for ten minutes."

I glanced down, realizing she was right. "I'm just... being thorough."

Olivia's expression softened. "Mia, come on. This is me you're talking to. What's really going on?"

I set down the photos, the fight leaving me. "I don't know," I admitted, rubbing my face. "It's confusing."

"What's confusing? Either you like him or you don't."

"It's not that simple." I gestured to the photos spread before us. "Look at these. Two months ago, I thought he was just another entitled athlete. But now I see all these different sides of him—the pressure he's under, the moments of genuine joy when he connects with the game, how he takes care of his teammates..."

"So you've discovered he's a complex human being with more than one dimension. Shocking," Olivia deadpanned. "The question is, do youlikehim like him?"

I groaned. "What are we, twelve?"

"Emotionally? When it comes to this stuff? Pretty much." She picked up another photo—this one capturing Ethan mid-laugh during a team dinner. "Look, I get it. The guy turned out to be more than a jerk jock stereotype. But you need to be careful here. This whole arrangement has an expiration date, remember? Hockey season ends, he gets drafted, you get your internship opportunity, and you both walk away."

"I know," I said quietly. "I know it's temporary. I know it started as a business deal. But sometimes, when we're together, it doesn't feel fake anymore." I looked up at her. "And that terrifies me."

Olivia's expression softened. "Oh, Mia."

"What am I supposed to do?"

She considered for a moment. "I think you have two options. Either reinforce those boundaries and remember this is a transaction with an end date, or..." she trailed off.

"Or?"

"Or be honest with him about how you're feeling and see if he's on the same page." She shrugged. "Novel concept, I know—actual communication."

The thought made my stomach clench with anxiety. "And risk the arrangement falling apart? I need thatSports Illustrationsconnection, Olivia. My scholarship depends on it."

"So door number one it is," she said with a sigh. "Reinforce boundaries, remember it's fake, protect your heart."

I nodded, gathering the photos into a neat stack. "Exactly. Strictly business from now on."

Even as I said it, my eyes drifted back to the photo of Ethan's unguarded smile, and I knew I was already failing.

Chapter 13: Ethan

Choosing a suit for the Winter Formal shouldn't have felt this complicated, yet here I was.

"Blue one or black one?" I held up both options for Dylan's inspection, feeling ridiculous even as I did it.

Dylan paused his video game, giving me an exaggerated once-over. "They're literally identical, bro."

"They're completely different," I insisted. "The blue one is navy. The black one is...black."

"Revolutionary observation," he snorted, turning back to his game. "Go with the navy. Brings out your eyes or whatever."

I frowned at the suits, still undecided. "You're useless."

"And you're freaking out over a fake date," Dylan pointed out without looking away from the screen. "Which is interesting, wouldn't you say?"

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