Ezinne

Caleb Kessler has everything. Hockey stardom. NHL scouts. A future his father's money bought.

Except a reputation.

When a leaked video makes him look like a bully, his agent demands a wholesome girlfriend—fast. His draft depends on it. His father's funding depends on it.

Mia Lin has nothing left to lose.

Three jobs. A mom fighting cancer. A beat-up Honda that might not survive the winter. When Caleb offers thirty thousand dollars for six months of fake dating, she wants to say no. She hates him. She's hated him since freshman year, when he laughed at her for being too poor to afford team dinner.

But her mom needs that money.

So she signs the contract.

No touching. No feelings. No "accidentally" holding hands.

Simple, right?

Except Caleb Kessler isn't the arrogant jerk she remembers. Behind the cocky smile is a boy terrified of his father. A boy who defends teammates no one else protects. A boy who watches her when he thinks she's not looking.

And Mia? She's not the cold, untouchable manager he imagined. She's tired. She's fierce. She's the first person who's ever told him no.

The cameras love them. The internet ships them. The contract says six months.

But somewhere between fake dates and forced smiles, late night drives and almost kisses, the lines blur.

Because pretending to love someone is easy.

Pretending you don't actually love them back?

That's the hardest game either of them has ever played.