Lila gawked at Ethan, trying to process what he'd just said. "You want me to pretend to be your girlfriend? Are you insane?"
Ethan shifted awkwardly, rubbing the back of his neck. "Look, I know how it sounds—"
"Oh, do you?" she interrupted, crossing her arms. "Because it sounds like the plot of a really bad teen movie."
Ethan's lips twitched. "Hey, bad teen movies can be classics. But seriously, I wouldn't ask if it wasn't important."
Lila raised an eyebrow. "Important? Like curing world hunger or stopping climate change? Because I don't see how fake dating you qualifies as important."
He sighed, glancing down the hall. "Okay, I'll explain. It's Olivia."
Her stomach sank. Of course, this had to involve Olivia Caldwell. The queen bee of Silver Ridge High had a talent for making everyone feel about three inches tall—especially people like Lila.
"What about Olivia?" Lila asked warily.
"She won't leave me alone," Ethan admitted. "We broke up months ago, but she's convinced we're meant to get back together. She's constantly showing up at my practices, texting me, and… it's getting out of hand."
"So, you think pretending to date me will fix that?"
"Yes," he said simply. "If she sees me with someone else, she'll get the message and move on."
Lila stared at him. "Why me? You could pick literally anyone. Someone popular. Someone who doesn't spill coffee on people."
Ethan hesitated, his gaze softening. "Because you don't care about any of this. You're not trying to impress anyone or climb some social ladder. You're real. And I trust you to keep this between us."
The sincerity in his voice caught her off guard, and for a moment, she wasn't sure what to say.
"And," he added with a small smile, "you kind of owe me for the coffee thing."
Lila groaned, pinching the bridge of her nose. "This is insane."
"It's just for a few weeks," Ethan said. "You pretend to be my girlfriend, Olivia backs off, and I'll owe you big time. Whatever you need—study help, errands, a glowing recommendation from the art teacher—I'm your guy."
Her eyes narrowed. "You'd do that?"
"Absolutely."
Lila hesitated. On one hand, this sounded like a disaster waiting to happen. On the other hand, Ethan's offer could help her land the art competition she'd been dreaming about.
"Fine," she said finally. "I'll do it."
Ethan's face lit up. "Really?"
"But," she added, holding up a finger, "we need rules."
"Rules?"
"Yes, rules. First, this stays between us. No one else can know it's fake."
"Agreed."
"Second, no… weird romantic stuff in public. I'm not kissing you or writing you love notes or whatever."
Ethan smirked. "No love notes. Got it."
"And third, this ends the second Olivia backs off. No extensions."
"Deal," he said, holding out his hand.
Lila stared at it for a moment before shaking. His hand was warm, strong, and annoyingly comforting.
"Alright, Coffee Girl," he said with a grin. "Let's make it official."
---
By the next morning, the entire school knew.
Lila walked into the hall and froze as dozens of eyes turned her way. People whispered, pointed, and stared like she'd just announced she was running for president.
"Uh, Jasmine?" she said as her best friend appeared beside her. "Why is everyone looking at me like I've grown a second head?"
Jasmine grinned, practically bouncing with excitement. "Oh, you haven't heard? You're dating Ethan Carter!"
Lila's jaw dropped. "What? How—who—?"
Jasmine shrugged. "He told a few people yesterday after school. I guess word travels fast. Anyway, spill! How did this happen?"
Lila rubbed her temples. "It's… complicated."
"Complicated how?" Jasmine asked, narrowing her eyes. "You didn't just wake up one day and decide to date the most popular guy in school."
"I'll explain later," Lila mumbled, pulling her hood up as they walked to class.
But as they passed Olivia Caldwell, who stood glaring at her like a hawk, Lila realized one thing: she was officially in over her head.