Kayla's POV:

Hey. I know that we're supposed to break up soon and I need to talk to you. Meet me tomorrow during lunch.

This was the message I received from Aaron last night and it fills me with apprehension. The thought that our arrangement might come to an end makes me have an empty hole in my heart. I've realized that I like him – maybe I even love him.

I almost laugh at myself. If someone had told me at the beginning of this arrangement that I would end up falling in love with my fake boyfriend, I would have laughed at them. It's something that only happens in Wattpad books, where someone falls for their fake boyfriend. It's not what I expected to happen to me.

Yet here I am, pacing my room on a Friday morning worrying my heart out. I nearly trip over a book that has been discarded on the floor, and I glare at it. My room is extremely messy, especially when compared with Aaron's, and I know that I should clean it up soon, but the disarray helps my artistic juices flow. And recently, they've been flowing pretty well. I've been drawing and painting every day and I have done some pretty good masterpieces. There's an art contest coming up that I plan to enter where the winning art piece will get featured in the museum and I hope that my work is good enough to win. I haven't told Aaron yet, but that is why I've been spending every spare moment in the art class. I usually stay up late and wake up early just to paint and work on my project, and I barely have time to clean why paint-strewn room.

I've been up since 5am today, but it isn't because of the art. I have been unable to get Aaron out of my head. I'm already dressed and ready for school, and it's just 6:30am.

I groan in frustration. Pacing around my room is not going to help me feel better, neither is it going to make me know what Aaron is going to tell me.

But maybe some breakfast will.

I traipse down the stairs, school bag in one hand while I try to distract my mind.

As soon as I reach the bottom rung, I am greeted by the smell of frying bacon.

"Dad?", I call out, and after a moment, I see his head pop out of the kitchen.

"Kayla, good morning", he says in Italian.

I smile and bounce into the kitchen where he's making pancakes and fried bacon, though he is now away from the frying pan, his arms outstretched and waiting for a hug. I run into his arms and I am enveloped by his warm smell and for a moment, I am a young girl again. Then he pulls away.

"What's wrong Kay?", he asks, his eyes burrowing into mine.

I want to shrug it off, to pretend like nothing is wrong, but the tone of concern in his voice breaks my heart a little, and I start pouring it all out. I tell him about how Jason cheated on me, the fake relationship and Aaron's parents. Then I tell him about the text.

"I am scared that he wants to end things dad", I finish. By now I am seated on a chair, a plate of hot sizzling bacon and pancakes right in front of me. As soon as I finish my statement, I take a piece of hot bacon and a pancake. I didn't cry throughout the story, but my dad still looks very serious.

"Is this the guy who came that day to tutor you? When I prepared my legendary lasagna?"

It seems like almost a lifetime ago when Aaron came to my house to tutor me and had to leave early because he was worried about Quinn's asthma attack.

I nod.

"Well then, he seems like a very nice young man. A bit too serious, but they say opposites attract right? And it was obvious that he liked you so much even then."

I smile, giddy with happiness. "You think he likes me?"

"Trust me, Kay. I am an expert on love."

I know he is talking about my mother, and I get off the chair to hug him close.

When I pull away, he looks at me with a knowing smile.

"You say this boy is good at football, right?"

I nod, a puzzled look on my face. "Yes, he loves football and he plays so well but his parents..."

My voice trails off in anger as I think about Mr and Mrs Delany and how they've refused to support Aaron's dream, even threatening to ban him from ever playing football again. He hasn't said a lot about it to me but I know that it hurts him a lot

But then my dad starts to whisper something in my ear and my whole face lights up.

"OMG dad would you do that?", I ask, and I know that my eyes are shining with joy.

"I make no promises, and I'll need to see him play first."

"There's a big game coming up next month against Oakfield High.", I say and my dad gives me a knowing smile.

"I don't think you should tell him yet.", he says. "Let it be a surprise."

I nod at my father before glancing at my watch.

Shoot, where did the time go.

"I need to go dad", I say slinging my bag around my shoulders and putting a last piece of bacon in my mouth. "I don't want to be late to school."

I notice my dad raise his eyebrows in mock amusement but he doesn't say anything, contenting himself with a smile.

I am just rushing out of the door when my dad calls me back.

Í poke my head through the door to see him smiling at me.

"I think you need to tell him how you feel about him."

I smile at my dad's words all the way on the drive to school. '

When I see Aaron during lunch, I plan to do just that.

🏈🏈🏈

When I walk into school, it is pretty early and I don't expect anyone to be there, so I make a stop at my locker and head straight for the arts class. I push open the door, expecting to see my empty classroom and my easel waiting for me.

Instead, I see Quinn seated on the floor scribbling away in a book. She looks up with a start when she sees me, but then her face relaxes into a half smile.

I smile back at her.

She is dressed in a baggy jersey with sweatpants, her afro hair styled beautifully with the edges well done. Her big hoop earrings glint in the light of the room and her face, even though she looks calmer still has worry lines etched lightly in her skin.

"Hi Kayla", she says, her voice bright. "You're here early."

"So are you", I say and she gives a little laugh.

"Keon had to work on something before anyone else came, so he made us both get here early", she says with an eyeroll.

I can't help smiling at her, at the arts lab, at everything. Today is just a perfect day.

Quinn looks at me, her eyebrows raised slightly. "Someone is in a good mood today", she comments, and I laugh and get up to do a twirl. The I grab Quinn by her hands and dance around the room.

"Ok", Quinn says panting and out of breath when I finally let her go. "What's the occasion?"

So I tell her everything; my feelings for Aaron, and his text. When I am done, she squeals with laughter and claps her hands excitedly.

"This is just like a Wattpad romance", she giggles and I laugh.

"That's just what I thought to myself this morning".

"I think you guys are super cute together", she continues. "I love everything about you guys."

I settle down with a smile. "I really like him", I sigh to myself.

"He really likes you too. It's actually kind of obvious. I can't wait for you guys to start actually dating."

I am about to reply to that when the warning bell rings for the start of class.

Quinn gets up with a start. "I need to give Marcus his homework", she mutters under her breath and I pause. Something is obviously up with Quinn and Marcus and I need to do something about it, maybe later though.

I nod for now with my lips pursed and we head off to her locker. We don't see Marcus along the way, but I notice that a lot of people are staring, pointing, some whispering amongst themselves.

"Am I being paranoid or are a lot of people looking at us?", Quinn asks.

I open my mouth to reply, but I am cut off when I see Steph running down the halls.

"Hey Steph, what's up?", I call to her, and she instantly runs up to me.

"You and Aaron are supposed to break up today, right?", she asks, and I nod.

"We were supposed to but I think he and I might start dating for real now."

But Steph is busy fiddling with her phone and she doesn't hear me.

"Well, it looks like the fake dating worked. He and Alicia are back together again", she whips out her phone oblivious to the look of pure shock on my face. I am so stunned that I can't even look at what she is showing me but Quinn gasps from beside me and I feel her hands wrap around me.

"I was actually shipping both of you but I guess that he really loved her and..."

The words keep pouring out of her mouth but I don't hear anything. I grab her phone from her hand, staring at the picture that she is showing, knowing that I am looking frantic.

Steph looks at me in concern, while Quinn looks at me with sadness and a hint of pity.

Now I understand all the weird stares and whispers. Because obviously, everyone in school now knows about it. They've all seen it.

The picture that Steph shows me, the picture that has probably been shared for all to see. It's a bit dim, probably because it was taking when it was getting dark, but it is still obvious who the two people are, and what they are doing.

Because it is obviously Aaron and Alicia kissing on the football field.

A/N: I cannot believe that we have reached 1k reads already. Thank you so much for supporting my book.

I am currently having exams so I am super stressed right now, but they finish tomorrow so I will be able to make an update on Saturday.

I hope you all liked this chapter. What do you think Kayla is going to do about the picture? Or Aaron when he finds out?

Vote and comment so that I can know your thoughts and opinions. 💋💋💋