The next morning, my phone goes crazy every few seconds with tons of messages from distant friends and relatives.

You're engaged to a Kerrington?

So lucky, Alex! OMFG

Snagged yourself a fiance and you didn't say anything?

Call me ASAP. Why didn't you tell me that you're getting married?

Congratulations, Alex!

Wedding bells in the air! Pls let me be ur bridesmaid!

Need to see you and your gorg fiancé!

You sneaky little bitch! Engaged to the hottest bachelor ever?

And there's hundreds more from where these came from. I wasn't even aware I knew that many people.

I take another sip of my tea and turn my phone off. Ever since yesterday, the news of Daniel's and my engagement has hit all the major news outlets and the hashtag #KerringtonWoods is currently trending at number eight on Twitter with 3.5K tweets.

I didn't know news could spread so far and so fast; I wasn't even aware that the Kerringtons were that famous to begin with. What exactly is so exhilarating about a Boston property tycoon and his son? I don't understand the fascination, but the fact that they've transcended into minor celebrities is quite an impressive feat.

Regardless, I can't seem to escape my face; clips of me and Daniel on The Charlize Matson Show are plastered everywhere on social media. Apparently, the recent attention I've been receiving also earned me two thousand more followers on Instagram and a slew of hate mail from angry teenagers.

So I guess I'm liked and hated by almost everyone in America. Regardless, they all know about me.

Daniel slaps three magazines on the coffee table and I almost jump.

He smirks at me. "So we're famous now."

I glare at him and take a look at the magazines. We're on the front pages of tabloids, and smacked all over featured articles. They used the photos of us when we were on the Charlize Matson show—the most used photo is a picture of me kissing Daniel's hand and him gazing adoringly at me. The photo actually looks legit, like we're actually in love and happy to be engaged.

That photo is a lie.

But the media doesn't know that. And hopefully, they won't ever find out.

"So they bought it," I say as I flip through the magazines. "They bought into our engagement."

"Of course they did," Daniel deadpans, like I just told him the sky is blue. "My performance was Oscar-worthy."

I want to tell him that he's so full of shit, but even I know that that's not true. He was a good actor. He fed Charlize and the audience great lies about our love life that even even had me fooled for a moment there.

"So is your dad pleased with our... charade?" I ask. He shrugs.

"He called me this morning. Said that we put on a good performance." Daniel takes a bite out of the pancakes that he just made. "But..."

I groan. "There's always a 'but' when it comes to him."

"There are some that don't believe us." He points out as he takes out a few more magazines. This time I realize they're tabloids. God, I always hate these. "Just take a look for yourself."

I cast him a wary glance before examining the tabloids, wincing when I scroll through headlines that read Is the Daniel Kerrington & Alex Woods Engagement Real? and A Fairytale Engagement Cover-up? How This Could Relate to the Loss of Kerrington Share Value.

"They can do this?" I question Daniel.

"Tabloids can do whatever they want. It's the people that choose to believe them or not."

If there are more people like this that think that our engagement is fake, it is time to step up our game.

"We have to try harder, then." I say finally. "We have to make them believe that this engagement is not a sham, and that we're really in love."

"Just hearing you say 'love' makes me want to puke out my breakfast," Daniel shakes his head.

"Come on. We have to do this," I insist. "I don't want your father to get shit pissed at our performance and then have him withdraw his loans to my parents' company. Everything is riding on us, you know that right?"

"Fine," His voice sounds gruffer, deeper. "Maybe we have to do a little PDA."

"PDA?" I lift an eyebrow.

"You know, public display of affection?" He says, "Maybe we can... hold hands or something."

Holding hands? Dear god.

"That's weird." I murmur.

"You said we have to step up our game, right? Then we have to do this." Daniel smirks. "It will be fun seeing you squirm under the slightest of my touch."

I am totally regretting this decision a lot right now.

I take a deep breath. "Okay. Holding hands. What else?"

"Hugging?"

"Fine. But no longer than five seconds."

"You're really funny, sweetheart." Daniel drawls. "How about kissing? That would totally make a statement."

"Nope. No kissing. No way."

"Come on, Alex. It will be fun." He grins. "I've been told I'm a great kisser. These lips..." He gestured to his, "Are very talented."

My cheeks turn pink. "Absolutely not."

"Kiss on the lips. No longer than three seconds."

"No kiss. At all."

"Two seconds, then."

"Kiss on the cheek. Three seconds."

"Fine." He says.

"Fine."

"Alright, let's do this." He cracks his knuckles and grabs his backpack slung over his chair.

I withdraw back. "What? Now?"

"Let's do it. On campus today. Everyone will be watching us for sure." He notes.

My face falls.

"You scared, sweetheart?" He teases. "You were the one who suggested doing this in the first place."

He's right, I did. So I can't be a pussy.

"I'm fine," I hide my emotions, "Let's go do this."

Today is going to be a loooong day.

*****

As I said earlier, being engaged to Daniel Kerrington sucks donkey ass. That much is true.

Just as Daniel predicted, when we arrive on campus, everyone's eyes are glued to us. Their eyes follow us as we walk from the car to the hallways. Some whisper amongst each other. I catch a few words like "engaged" and "too young" and "fake". 

Daniel is totally fine with it though. In fact, I think he is enjoying the attention that is directed at him, regardless of it being positive or negative. Me, on the other hand... not so much.

Most of the people staring at us do no harm. They just watch silently as we walk to class. I think their attention is more focused on the huge rock on my finger.

Daniel's hand brushes against mine. I close my eyes.

"That disgusted by my touch?" Daniel laughs quietly as we pass by a random group of girls glaring at me.

"Of course I am."

Daniel chuckles as he slides his hand in mine. Our fingers weave together, and I suck in a deep breath.

"See? Not as bad as you think, right?" He smirks.

He's right. There's something calming about his touch, how it hums through my entire body. I feel better now about having the attention on me. For once, Daniel has done something good.

I'm so not going to admit that to him.

"I don't like them staring at me." I say instead.

"Sweetheart, from this day forward, they're always going to stare at you. So I suggest you get used to it."

"Easy for you to say. You love the attention." I snap back.

"It's nice. Makes me think that I'm very desirable." He says.

One day, I'm going to rip his huge ego into shreds.

I fold my arms over my chest and continue to walk. But before we enter class, Daniel stops in his tracks.

"Why are we stopping?" I ask him.

He doesn't answer. Instead he pulls me to him and now we're mere inches apart. His move is so sudden I gasp.

Our faces are lined together, the both of us breathing hardly. I don't know what he's about to do. One of his hands lifts up to tuck a stray hair behind my ear. There is no air left in my body.

"Easy, sweetheart. You look like you've seen a ghost." He murmurs. "I only want to do this."

Then, he tilts his head slightly to press a kiss on my cheek, close to my lips.

"There." He says after he pulls away from me.

There. There are no words to what he has just done. The shadow of his kiss still lingers on my skin, sparking my entire body.

He smiles at me before he takes my hand again and drags me back into class. I wonder why he had just kissed me like that. There isn't much of a crowd to see his latest display of affection towards me.

I have the sudden urge to look over my shoulder. Taking a sneak glance behind me, I now figure out why.

Nate stands by the sidelines, his hair tousled and his face hard. This is the first time since our last encounter that I have seen him. His eyes lock with mine and I feel the intensity of his gaze down to my bones.

"Nate." I breathe his name.

He looks down and shakes his head.

I want to run over to him and throw my arms over him. I want to tell him that I'm sorry I'm sorry I'm sorry and I still want to be friends please I want that so much

But I don't say what I want to say to him.

Because I know he's hurting inside and I know I'm the cause of his pain.

I will hurt him even more.

So I just watch him as he walks away from me.