It All Started With A Deal

Chapter 2

I knew absolutely nothing about football, but I was aware that it was the most important game of the year. If they won, they got to go to the championship. Our whole school was rooting for them. I watched as number thirteen ran the ball down the field, managing to score it in the end zone. The crowd erupted into a huge array of cheers. Even I found myself grinning. We had just won the game.

It didn't take long for number thirteen to notice me standing off to the side of the bleachers. He took off his helmet revealing his messy, brown hair and piercing eyes that I would recognize anywhere. Liam sprinted over to me. "Sapphire?"

The two of us almost matched, his uniform being the exact same shade of red as my dress. Part of me wondered if Athena had planned that, even though she had no idea I would be at the game that night.

I had a feeling Liam already knew why I was there. "I'm in."

He grinned one of his signature, breathtaking smiles before resting his hand on the small of my back and pulling me to him. My hands instinctively drew to his chest as he pressed his lips to mine, holding me in a tender embrace, his lips moving gently and hesitantly against mine as if to ask for permission. I granted it almost instantly and without thought. A spread of whispers moved across the crowd, blending in with the pitter of the rain, lost in the background.

Liam and I drew away, our bodies remaining close, his lips brushing against my ear as he whispered, "I think we're fooling them."

We most certainly were. The entirety of the crowd's attention was on the two of us. That included Tara, who was standing on the sidelines with the rest of the cheerleaders, her stare cold and dark as she eyed me. I looked back up to Liam. "Definitely."

He glanced over his shoulder at Tara before returning his gaze to me. "I've got to get back to the team but meet me under the main entrance. I'll be out soon."

I nodded and he released me from his grip. Without him so close, allowing me to steal his body heat, I was suddenly aware of how cold it was but I managed to waddle my way to the main entrance, nevertheless, finding shelter from the rain which left just as quickly as it came, leaving a subtle mist in its tracks. Liam didn't take long to meet me. He was now dressed in sweats, a t-shirt, and his letterman jacket. He was also completely dry, aside from his hair—lucky—meanwhile, I was freezing my ass off and trying not to visibly shiver, the goosebumps along my skin giving me away. "Geez you must be freezing," Liam pointed out the obvious.

I stared at him, unamused. "You think? How do people think that kisses in the rain are romantic? They're cold!"

Liam simply chuckled as he removed his jacket and draped it over my shoulders. I shook my head. "It's okay, you don't have to do that. Your jacket is going to get wet."

He didn't take it back and instead grabbed my hand. "You're my girlfriend now, I'm not going to let you freeze."

"Fake girlfriend," I corrected. "Which reminds me, we need to set rules."

Liam's eyebrows drew together. "Rules? Where's the fun in that?"

I glared at him. "This isn't supposed to be fun. This is strictly business."

Liam pouted. I paid no attention to him as I led him to Athena's car. He didn't even bother to ask me where I was taking him and instead blindly followed. I opened the back door of the car first and grabbed a towel, tossing it up to the front seat. I gesture for Liam to get in on the other side. He did as instructed. "You just randomly have a stack of towels in your car?" He raised a brow.

I shrugged. "I like the rain."

His forehead creased. "What does that have to do with the towels?"

"I like the rain and therefore when it rains, I run out into said rain. Towels are a necessity."

He still didn't seem to understand but dropped the subject. "So rules," I continued. I grabbed the sketchbook that I always kept in the car and a pen. Flipping through the pages, I found the first blank one and wrote 'Liam and Sapphire's Fake Dating Contract' at the top. "Rule number one: this is strictly professional, no feelings," I informed him.

He nodded in response, "Shouldn't rule number one be 'never tell anyone'?"

I jotted down 'Must remain a secret' as rule number two. "Probably but I already wrote it so now it's rule number two."

"Rule number three: you have to go to all of my games since Tara will be there," he added.

"Rule four: we only have to act like a couple when people are around. Rule five: we have to go on actual fake dates because Athena will be expecting all the details."

He tilted his head. "So we'll pretty much just hang out as friends and call it a date?" I nodded and he continued, "Okay, rule six: you have to go on the season trip with me,"

My eyes widened. The season trip was the talk of the school. All the football players and cheerleaders went on it. They were all allowed to bring one person. Most people would kill to get invited to it. Athena was dying to go on it, which is the only reason I would ever agree. "Fine, but Athena has to go on it as well."

"How am I supposed to do that?" He questioned, knowing that he only got to bring one person.

I smirked, a horribly perfect idea coming to mind. "Well I mean, she and Sam would be cute together." I could practically picture Athena yelling at me. She would be so mad if she found out I told Liam. She'd thank me later though if Sam actually asked her out.

"I've been trying to get Sam to ask her out for the last month. He's too much of a chicken."

Wait, what? "Huh?" I stared at Liam, dumbfounded.

"How did you know Sam liked her though?"

I gaped at him. "I didn't."

Liam's face flushed white. "Uh, forget I said anything." He scratched the back of his neck, looking away.

I had a feeling we were about to play matchmaker. I filled him in on the fact that Athena liked Sam as well. We quickly devised a plan to set the two of them up. I pulled my phone out of my pocket as it buzzed. The screen lit up to reveal thirty-seven unread messages, most from Athena. I opened it. It read as follows: 'When were you going to tell me about this?'. Attached to it was a picture of Liam and me kissing in the rain. I chuckled. "Word spreads fast," I held my phone out for Liam to see.

I slid up on the camera and held my phone up. "Get in the picture, so I can send it to Athena," I instructed Liam.

He complied and wrapped his arms around me. His chin rested on my shoulder and right before I took the picture his lips pressed to my cheek. I brought the phone down to reveal the picture. It looked like one of those cute couple photos you would find on Pinterest. I hit send. Here goes nothing.