The Counteroffer

HAZEL

The morning after the disastrous bonfire feels like an endless, suffocating nightmare. I wake up with swollen, puffy eyes, staring blindly at the ceiling of my dorm room. My head throbs with a dull ache. Yet, despite my sheer exhaustion, my skin still remembers the heavy, burning sensation of Cade's hand gripping my waist. The phantom heat of his touch feels like a permanent brand left on my flesh.

Sitting through our dull Structural Analysis lecture an hour later feels like pure torture. My chatty roommate, Tess, drops her heavy canvas bag onto the floor and slides into the seat beside me. She leans deep into my personal space. She relentless grills me about the wild party games from last night, refusing to take a hint.

"You look terrible. Come on, spill the details. Did you actually play the game? Who kissed who?" Tess bombards me with questions, her eyes shining with eager curiosity.

I stare blankly at the empty pages of my notebook. I cannot focus on a single word she says. My undivided attention is fixated on the back of Cade's dark, messy hair a few rows ahead. He sits still in his usual spot, draped in his signature black clothing. Just looking at the rigid line of his broad shoulders makes my breath catch painfully in my throat. I tune out the rest of Tess's endless chatter.

The second the professor dismisses the class, I scramble out of my seat. I ignore Tess calling my name from behind me. I desperately chase Cade down the crowded hallway, weaving through the thick mass of moving students. He walks with a long, unbothered stride, his hands shoved deep into his pockets. I finally catch up to him and reach out. I grab his arm with both hands. I do not give him a single chance to pull away.

I drag his tall, solid frame away from the prying eyes of our classmates and into a secluded, quiet stairwell at the far end of the building. The heavy metal door slams shut behind us, instantly cutting off the loud, chaotic noise of the hallway. I drop his arm and take a quick step back. With my heart racing hard against my ribs, I force myself to meet his intense, pale gaze.

"I need you to fake date me." I blurt out the insane plan I formulated, the words rushing out of my mouth in a desperate breath.

The corner of his mouth twitches in deep amusement. He slowly crosses his muscular arms over his broad chest and looks down at me.

"How cliché. You want to use me to make my golden-boy brother jealous." He flatly calls the idea out, his voice dripping with dry mockery.

Fierce heat rushes up my neck. He deduces my exact motive without a second of hesitation. He sees right through my pathetic desperation. I stand there, feeling exposed and humiliated under his piercing stare.

"I am not interested in playing games." He drops his arms and turns his back to leave.

Panic floods my veins. I cannot let him walk away. I lunge forward and grab the dark fabric of his shirt to stop him.

"Please, Cade, just listen to me."

Before I can finish my frantic plea, he interrupts me. He takes a sudden, predatory step forward, forcing me to retreat. He crowds my body backward until my spine hits the cold concrete wall. The stale air leaves my lungs in a sharp rush. He towers over my smaller frame, his chest hovering mere inches from mine.

"I want something else. I want you for myself." He declares the words in a low, dangerous tone. His pale eyes burn into mine with a terrifying intensity.

My head spins at the sudden, impossible declaration.

"But you hate me." I stammer out the words, my voice trembling with confusion.

"When did I ever say those words?" He dismisses the notion, tilting his head slightly.

He gently reaches out. He takes my small, shaking hand in his. His large, calloused fingers wrap carefully and intimately around mine. The rough texture of his skin sends a powerful shockwave straight up my arm, making my pulse pound in my ears. He leans in closer, his face invading my vision.

"Be my girlfriend, Hazel." His raspy voice drops a full octave, issuing a raw command that makes my knees go weak.

My stomach erupts into chaotic, nervous flutters.

"I do not feel things the way normal people do. But around you, everything is loud. It is messy. I do not understand it. If you teach me how to understand it, I will do whatever you want." He confesses, his thumb slowly brushing over my sensitive knuckles.

I stare up at him, my mouth slightly parted in shock. He is offering me the ultimate tool to grab Cole's attention. He is handing me the perfect weapon. But looking into his empty yet burning eyes makes me feel like I am stepping straight into a lethal inferno.

"You have until tonight to make your final decision." He gently releases my hand, letting his intoxicating touch linger for a fleeting second before stepping back.

He turns and walks out of the stairwell, leaving me flabbergasted against the unforgiving concrete wall. My chest heaves rapidly as I try to process the gravity of what just happened.

By evening, the four walls of my narrow dorm room feel like a suffocating prison. I sit cross-legged on my unmade bed, staring blankly at my open textbook. Tess bursts through the door, wearing a tight black top and heavy, glittery makeup. She refuses to let me mope in the dorm over my bonfire disaster.

"Get up. You need to forget about Cole and his stupid games. We are going out tonight." She grabs my arm and pulls me off the mattress.

Tess drags me to a loud, crowded off-campus house party. The moment we step through the wooden front door, the suffocating atmosphere hits me like a physical blow. The heavy bass of the electronic music vibrates harshly through the sticky floorboards. Sweaty bodies press tightly together in the dimly lit living room, dancing and shouting over the deafening noise. I head straight for the makeshift bar set up in the kitchen. I grab a cheap, burning vodka drink in a dented red plastic cup. I take a large, desperate gulp, wincing as the harsh liquid burns a fiery path down my throat. The sweaty, enclosed space becomes too much to handle.

I slip away from Tess while she talks to a group of rowdy upperclassmen. I wander the dim halls in search of a quiet corner to clear my head. The booming noise of the party fades slightly as I walk further down the narrow, empty corridor. I pass a cracked-open bathroom door and freeze dead in my tracks.

I distinctly hear the unmistakable, wet sound of heavy kissing echoing from the small, tiled space. It is followed by a harsh, breathless groan.

"Fuck, Chloe... you feel so good." Cole groans the dirty words out.

My blood runs ice-cold. My grip on the red cup falters.

"Why do you keep that little pest following you around? She is always right behind you like a shadow. It is pathetic." Chloe giggles flirtatiously, the sound dripping with cruel amusement.

My fragile heart shatters into a million jagged pieces. I wait for Cole to defend me. I hold my breath and wait for my best friend to fiercely shut down her cruel insults.

He does not even attempt to defend me.

"She is harmless. I do not want to hurt her feelings. But yeah, she has been clinging pretty hard lately." Cole chuckles smoothly, the sound carrying a casual tone.

Harmless. Clinging. Pathetic.

The cruel words crash down on me like a devastating avalanche. I press a trembling hand over my mouth to muffle the ugly sob tearing up my throat. I finally realize the painful, humiliating truth. I was never the girl he secretly wanted. I was merely the safe, convenient, pathetic best friend he simply lacked the guts to shake off.

Hot tears roll down my cheeks, burning my cold skin. I turn away from the cracked bathroom door. I stumble blindly down the dark hallway, gasping for air like a drowning victim. I fumble for my phone in my jacket pocket. My hands shake so badly I almost drop the device onto the floorboards. I open the lingering text thread and stare down at the last message from Cade.

[Want to do something fun, sparrow?]

Spurred by an intoxicating, burning surge of pure spite, my trembling thumbs type out a rapid reply.

[I'm in.]

I hit send without a second thought. A dangerous, electric thrill rushes through my veins. I just said yes to the devil, and I pray to God it is worth it, because something deep inside me screams that there is no going back after this.