Semua Bab Rival's Marriage Agreement : Bab 11 - Bab 20

Cameron’s POVI should’ve known peace was temporary. Like, cosmic rule or whatever—if things feel too okay, something terrible is probably lurking right around the corner.That "terrible" showed up in the form of my ever-charming stepbrother, Drake.It was a normal school day, or at least, it looked like one. I was walking through the quad with Brandon, still mentally recovering from waking up to him practically draped over me like a human blanket. He was sipping an iced coffee like we hadn’t just played accidental cuddle buddies the night before, and I was trying to act like my brain wasn’t still short-circuiting every time I remembered how close our faces had been.“Do you think that anonymous account could be someone from school?” I asked, lowering my voice.Brandon shrugged. “If it is, they’re a coward. Bet they sit alone in the computer lab, munching on chips and plotting like some low-budget villain.”I snorted. “You mean something you can do?”“That was one fucking time, and I

Cameron POV My stomach flipped and my thumb hovered over the answer button like it weighed a million pounds. I swiped to answer and placed the phone against my ears,"Hey.""Hey," she said, and her voice was softer than I expected it to be. There wasn't any judgment or ice to it, it was comfortable. "You okay?"I let out this weird half-laugh and it was the kind that sounds like you’re about to explode but you’re trying not to. “Define okay.”“I saw the picture. I think everyone has.”Of course she had.I sighed and leaned back against the cold bleacher, my heart bouncing around like it had no idea what speed to settle on. “It’s not what it looks like.”“So explain it to me, because I was very surprised to see that.”“The reason it was posted was because I was with Brandon and Drake wanted to make me frustrated,” I blurted out.“Wait—Brandon? Like, student president Brandon? You’re dating him now?”“It’s fake,” I said flatly. “The whole Brandon thing—it’s not real.”She grew quiet, I

Brandon’s POVThere was a brief pause on the line. I could hear Cameron exhale slowly, like the mention of her name triggered something he wasn’t ready to face.“Brandon…” he said quietly, his voice suddenly guarded. “Do we really have to talk about her?”“Yes we need to,” I replied, keeping my tone gentle but firm.He wasn't running away from this, not when I have the control of the situation.“You said you want me to help you, the only way I can help is when you tell me everything that happened.”Silence, I could hear the faint sound of his breathing on the other end but he didn't say anything.“I will come to you and explain,” he muttered.The call ended, and I lay there staring at the ceiling, still holding my phone like it was a grenade that hadn’t gone off yet.He was going to tell me everythingI should’ve felt satisfied. Triumphant. This was the moment I’d been working toward, I was moving closer to my plan.I had everything under control and I will see to it that he is under

Cameron’s POVI woke up to sunlight stabbing me straight in the face and it felt like the universe was against me having proper sleep.Groaning, I rolled over and fumbled for my phone, which had been buzzing for a while.Dad.God, what did he want now?I let it ring for a few seconds, dragging my fingers through my disaster of hair, before finally picking it up. “Morning,” I said, trying to sound like I wasn’t still halfway inside a dream.“Any updates?” Dad said with his voice sharp It was obvious he was in business-mode. But he couldn't even say hello.I sat up and let my feet hit the floor. “Yeah. Brandon’s parents are... they’re really supportive.”There was a short pause and I was sure he didn't even flinch “Good,” he said. “Very good. We’ll arrange a dinner between both families. It’s time to discuss future collaborations.”And then he added, like he was commenting on my science project, “Nice work. You picked a good one.”I blinked and stared at the wall. That was it? No how

Cameron POV I stood at the edge of the room like I was about to deliver some big speech, arms crossed and spine stiff. Brandon was tossing a hoodie onto his bed, totally unbothered by the fact that I was about to break some sort of weird unspoken routine we’d apparently fallen into."I'm sleeping on the couch," I said, louder than necessary. Like I was trying to convince myself as much as him.Brandon glanced over his shoulder, one eyebrow cocked. "Okay."That was it. No protest. No teasing. No smug smirk. Just... "Okay."I blinked. "You’re not even gonna argue about it?"He shrugged. "What would be the point? You already sound like you've made up your mind so enjoy yourself."I hated how logical he sounded. And how calm he sounded. Like it didn’t matter. Like I didn’t matter.I folded my arms tighter across my chest. "It’s just... those matching things we bought today were just for your mom, okay? For show. Doesn’t mean we actually have to—you know—sleep in the same bed."Brandon di