Completed • First Draft - not edited. || "You gonna sit there all night?" Luka glances at me, smirking. I glare back. "I was enjoying the last few seconds of peace before having to spend an evening pretending to like you." "That's funny," he says, unbuckling his seatbelt. "Why?" I snap. "Because I was thinking the same thing." || The rules? Easy enough. 1. Pretend to be the perfect couple. 2. Keep it professional. 3. And whatever you do, don't. catch. feelings. Simple, right? Sofia Calloway never planned on going viral for throwing a drink in Luka Mikhaylov's face. But one video, one pissed-off hockey star, and one furious university later... she's suddenly stuck in a fake relationship with the guy she can't stand. He needs to clean up his image before the NHL draft. She needs the free tuition that comes with the deal. All they have to do is smile for the cameras, hold hands at the games, and act like they don't want to strangle each other. Then come the late-night arguments that last too long. The stolen glances that feel too dangerous. The moment where "pretend" starts looking way too real. Because when you break the rules, someone's bound to lose. And this time, it might be both of them.

Emery Ashford had a smart mouth. She was known for it. As an outgoing teenager Emery was always hanging out with friends and with a lack of filter she always said what was on her mind. Especially if it had to do with that irritative jock. She hated him with every fiber in her body. She hated his charming nature, his arrogance, his lack of care, and the way he got on her nerves. But the thing she hated most, although she'd never admit it, is that she would stick up for him. Not like he ever needed it. She wanted nothing more than to get away from him. But it's completely impossible. He lived right across the street. Everything about senior year had been going smoothly until, Bang. Jackson Riley had a pretty mouth. Pretty face too. As the school's football captain he's always been the talk. For years he's been entertained by the smartass that is Emery Ashford. She was a pain in his ass, but he knew he'd be bored without her. When he ends up giving Emery another concussion, he's determined to make the last two months of her senior year hell. That's if he hasn't been doing that already. There's only one thing in his way. Concussion or not Emery isn't going down without a fight. It seems the more she doesn't want him around, the more he happens to be. She thinks her life is spiraling into the ground...but maybe she has it all wrong. With an offer she can't refuse and a heat of the moment bet, it's time for the both of them to realize that there's a thin line between love and hate. And with an injury like this, that line is surely to blur. #1 in annoying [12/30/22] #1 in brothersbestfriend [1/6/23] #1 in hate [1/15/23] #1 in teens [1/28/23] #1 in tension [3/18/23] #1 in summer [5/8/23] #1 in player [5/13/23] Started [Oct 2022] Finished [May 2023]