Would You Rather: A College Romance (Campus Games Book 3)

Exposed

“God, I want to die.” Gabi lets out a groan, burying her head in her hands.

“Maybe you shouldn’t drink your body weight in alcohol, then,” Leila supplies.

Gabi twists her head and cracks an eye open. “I seem to remember you getting just as drunk before you decided to quit for your boyfriend.”

Leila smirks. “And I don’t miss it at all.”

Gabi presses her hand to her mouth. “God, I’m going to be sick.” Her eyes meet Leila’s. “That was the cheesiest thing I’ve ever heard.”

Leila rolls her eyes. “Funny.”

Gabi attempts to laugh, groaning when a wave of nausea rolls through her. “Rosie,” she calls out. “Be a babe and hold out your hands. I might actually be sick.”

“Ew. No way.” Rosie’s face contorts, and Gabi lets out a chuckle.

“I’m only kidding,” she says, turning to face me. “Madi, give me your bag.”

I roll my eyes, Leila catching my eye when I see her smile down at her phone. “Is that Aiden?” I ask her, already knowing the answer.

She smirks, nodding. “Yeah, he’s giving me a play-by-play of what’s going down.” The guys all invited Lucas over to play some video games, and James, too, since he’s been hanging out with them since the party.

“And?” I ask her, taking a sip of my coffee to try and downplay my excitement. I love that he’s hanging out with our group.

Leila tilts her head. “He said he sucks.”

“Hey, that’s Madeline’s boyfriend. Don’t insult him,” Gabi pipes up.

I let out a laugh, pressing my lips together at how much I like hearing her say that. Even if they think it’s still fake, they still call him my boyfriend.

“Is it weird for you?” Leila asks. “Him hanging out with our boyfriends?”

I shake my head. “No, I mean, I guess they’re just trying to make him feel comfortable since they think we’re dating.” I eye the girls, and Rosie’s cheeks tint immediately, turning beet red. Leila, however, presses her lips together to stop the laugh from coming out. “Right?”

I already know they told their boyfriends, but Rosie breaks, blowing out a breath. “I told Grayson,” she blurts out. “I’m sorry. I just can’t hide anything from him. He knows I’m lying before I even try.”

I let out a laugh. “I know, Rosie. It’s fine.” I turn to Leila. “I know you told Aiden too.”

“Yep.” Leila smirks. “He won’t say anything, though. The NDA is safe.”

Does the NDA still stand if the relationship is no longer fake? I breathe out a sigh. I should tell them, but I like how it is between us right now, and I know as soon as I tell them, everything’s going to change.

“Is it working out for you?” Rosie asks. “The whole fake dating thing?”

I smile, nodding. “Yeah, I guess. I’ve gained a ton of followers because of it, and I actually got an audition.”

“Really?” Rosie asks, her eyes widening. “That’s great. How did it go?”

I grin, feeling the bask of my friends’ approval. They’re always so supportive, and they’re my biggest fans, and honestly, I’d be lost without them. “It went great,” I tell them. “If they decide to go with me, then I’ll be working with one of my favorite directors, Monica Harrington.”

“What kind of movies does she make?” Leila asks. “I don’t think I’ve heard of her.”

“You wouldn’t. She mostly works on smaller, indie movies,” I supply with a shrug. “But I love her. Her movies are so real and raw.”

Gabi snickers, lifting her head. “Just how I like it.” She lets out a laugh, groaning a second later, clutching her head when the nausea hits. “This is your fault,” she groans, glancing up at me.

I cock my head at her. “What did I do now?”

“You made me leave my bed.”

I snicker, remembering how she didn’t want to get up this morning. But she’d already been sleeping the whole morning, and I thought fresh air would help her.

But I doubt that’s the case. I’ve never gotten drunk before. I love parties, and I’ve gotten a little buzzed before, but I never took it too far. I hate losing control. I like knowing I’m of sound mind at all times.

Leila lifts herself off the table, heading toward the counter, and comes back a minute later, holding out a green smoothie in Gabi’s face.

Gabriella groans when she sees it. “Leila, I will kick you.”

“Trust me, you drama queen. I used to get the worst hangovers, and while it might not cure it, it will help.”

Gabi’s face contorts. “It looks like grass.”

Leila laughs, shaking her head. “It tastes good. I promise.”

Gabi reluctantly accepts the green smoothie and glances at me. “If you’d come with me, we could be drunk together since this one,” she points at Leila, “doesn’t drink, and Rosie practically drinks sugar.”

“Hey,” Rosie says, frowning. “They taste good.”

“As much as I’d love to share your hangover,” I supply dryly, knowing she’s joking, “I was studying.”

Gabi’s eyes drop to the drink in her hand, and then glances up at me. “All night?” she asks.

I shrug. “Classes keep me busy.” Technically not a lie, but what I don’t tell her is that Lucas came over and slept in my bed again. Gabi was out partying, so I knew it was safe to have him over.

Gabi plugs her nose and gulps down half the drink, letting out a groan when she swallows. “Oh fuck. You lied to me,” she says to Leila.

“It’s just fruit and vegetables,” Leila replies.

Gabi shakes her head. “And I don’t like either of those things.”

My phone buzzes, and I glance at the screen, seeing Lucas’s name. I smile instantly, grabbing it before the girls can see.

Lucas:

Question number nineteen.

I smile when I see his text, watching the three little dots on the screen.

Lucas:

How much do you miss me?

A grin spreads across my face as I text him back.

Me:

Are you fishing for a compliment?

Lucas:

Sue me for wanting to hear my girlfriend tell me how hot I am.

Lucas:

So, how drunk is Gabi?

I shake my head, a smile on my lips.

Me:

Did Aiden tell you?

Lucas:

Yup. The guy won’t stop staring at his phone. He’s completely obsessed with Leila.

Lucas:

I know how he feels.

I raise my eyebrow, a smirk playing on my lips. I glance up to see Leila force-feeding Gabi the drink like she’s a child, and I let out a laugh, glancing back down at my phone.

Me:

You’re obsessed with Leila?

“Open,” Leila says. I look up to see her holding the half-empty glass to Gabi’s lips. She shakes her head, mumbling something while her mouth is closed. Leila breathes out a sigh, glancing at Rosie. “Help me.”

“I prefer to watch you try,” she says with a smirk.

My phone buzzes in my hand, and I quickly open it.

Lucas:

Funny. Like you don’t know, you’re the only girl I see.

I sigh, reading over his text, glancing at the girls, letting out a laugh when I see Gabi trying to down the green smoothie herself.

Me:

I miss you.

Lucas:

Me too. The guys are holding me hostage, but as soon as I can leave, I’m coming to you.

I smile, pocketing my phone.

Leila lifts off the chair, tugging at Gabi. “Come on, let’s get you home.”

Shit. I glance at the girls. “I um… I have to study.”

Rosie smiles, and Leila smirks, but they don’t say anything as they walk Gabi out.

“She’s so going to fuck her fake boyfriend,” Gabi whisper-yells to Leila, making a laugh bubble out of me.

Fuck it. Bring out the red hair dye. I don’t care anymore.

“Stay away from my fresh towels,” I yell out to Gabi.

She shakes her head, glancing back at me. “I can’t promise anything.”

Leila smirks at me. “Don’t worry, I’ll make sure your towels will stay clean.”

The door opens, and they push it open, leaving the café.

My phone buzzes on the table, and I smile, wondering if Lucas is near, but when I swipe up and look down at the screen, it’s not him.

Ana:

What did you guys do?

I furrow my brows, clicking on the link she sent, and my heart drops.

Exposed: Love at first sight or a sham all along?

I scroll down the page, my heart sinking into my stomach at the sight of a picture of me and Lucas from the photoshoot. I haven’t seen this picture in so long, and it still knocks the breath out of me when I remember how close we were when I hated being close to another person.

But now, this picture is being used to criticize our relationship and expose us. I keep scrolling down until I reach the article.

Glitz and Glamour are what we associate with celebrity couples, but the seemingly genuine love story that captured the hearts of millions is, apparently, not at all as it seems.

Madeline Davis and Lucas Silva, one of the recent celebrity couples who were adored by the public, now find themselves in deep water when their seemingly picture-perfect romance was nothing but a lie.

For months, their relationship has been the subject of headlines, from swoon-worthy photoshoots to posts that screamed true love. The couple were thought to be genuine after a photo came out of Lucas Silvia holding Madeline Davis lovingly in his arms, but it seems like not all that glitters is gold.

Anonymous sources have recently come forward, claiming that Madeline and Lucas’s relationship was, in fact, just another PR stunt orchestrated to distract from Lucas’s previous bad press.

The exposé came to light when an anonymous insider, privy to a heated dispute between the couple, unveiled the truth about their sham relationship. The source guarded their knowledge until concrete evidence could validate their claims, prompting us to share this revelation.

My eyes well up when I stop reading, and I shake my head.

How?

How do they know?

I rack my brain, trying to think back to when Lucas and I were arguing. I was so careful not to speak about our arrangement in front of anyone, always making sure to smile, even back then, when I wasn’t the biggest fan of Lucas or this arrangement.

But now everyone knows.

They all know it wasn’t real.