After discovering that her boyfriend of three years is cheating on her with his girl best friend, Yasemin Hogan knows she can do way better than a little material revenge. Julian broke her heart, she will break his.
By fake dating his enemy.
Elija...
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If Julian was able to fake an entire three-year relationship, why wouldn't I be able to fake one for a few months?
Eight o'clock. I saw student athletes leaving the gym or walking through the hallway to the locker rooms, their training done. I was waiting outside the door that led to the campus pools, trying to convince myself that my fake dating idea was a good one. I was literally walking in circles, hardly preventing myself from bitting my nails. I had stopped in the summer and vowed not to resume this anxious habit. To balance it out, I had a straw in my mouth from a drink I'd bought at lunch. I still had the straw in my mouth seven hours later, yes. There was hardly any left of it, I had chewed it so much.
Finally, the door opened and swimmers came out, their hair still wet. Several of them gave me curious looks. Two of Julian's friends dared to glare at me as if I had cheated on him. The audacity.
"Yasemin, Julian didn't show up for practice, " Jonah Doyle informed me. He was a tall African-American man with the brightest smile I've ever seen in my life, and one of Elijah's closest friends.
"I know," I replied abruptly without elaborating.
I'm waiting for your buddy, not my ex, by the way.
He stared at me for a moment, but refrained from commenting and left. If Elijah hadn't come out at the same time as him, it must have meant that he was waiting for me inside. After a moment's hesitation, I threw down my battered straw, pushed open the door and entered the long hallway still steaming from the hot showers the swimmers had just taken. I passed through the locker rooms, passing no one, then entered the pool area.
I saw him immediately, doing a length in the big pool.
"Harden!" I shouted at him as I approached the water.
It was so deep. I smelled the chlorine, which I strangely liked a lot. Elijah was swimming with grace and power. A shark, fast and conquering, that had no one in front of it, and no time to even look at those behind. I had often come to practices and competitions to support Julian, and it was clear that Elijah was a formidable opponent. He was even a little bit better in my opinion, but I obviously didn't tell him or my ex that.
He came closer to me and put his muscular forearms on the ledge, taking off his swimming cap and goggles. God, his wet raven hair. It was even better than when it was just damp.
"Hogan. I've had more than enough time to think."
His penetrating gaze made me want to liquefy on the spot and become one with that water. I remained silent.
"Do you mind if I stay in the water? I don't want to leave it yet, it's a little warm."
I spotted his towel laying on the stands and had an idea.
"No problem. I'll join you partially."
Without asking his opinion, I went to get his towel. I took off my shoes and socks, pulled up my pants as best I could and finally dipped my legs to my ankles, my ass on the fabric.
