Fake Out_A SECOND CHANCE PRETEND GIRLFRIEND ROMANCE Read online

  “Time!” Someone shouted. The clock stopped. The players scattered into the sidelines, grabbing some water. New York’s coach changed out a player.

  As this happens, a woman walks up to me, moving with a clear-cut agenda. Great. What does she want?

  She was wearing a pantsuit and her hair was pulled back into a tight bun.

  “Hello.”

  “Hello,” I answered, raising an eyebrow in question. “May I help you with something?”

  “I’m from SportsCast.”

  My eyes widened. Shit. SportsCast? That’s like the biggest online sports broadcaster. I’d been applying there for years, without response. They’re cutthroat and competitive but the pay was unbelievable.

  “Okay…”

  “We’ve been keeping an eye on you and we like what we saw.”

  My eyes widened even further. “I don’t quite understand.”

  She pressed her lips together, clearly unimpressed. “My boss, Mr. Callaway himself, has directed me to speak with you. He wants you to lead our daily broadcast.”

  “You’re kidding,” I blurted out before I could stop myself. God, Val, what a way to make a first impression, I chastised myself. Fuck, now I’m blushing. No, more than that, I probably looked like a goddamn tomato. Get it together, girl. I took a deep breath, rolled back my shoulders, and looked the woman in the eyes. “Sorry.”

  “Don’t worry about it,” she said, waving her hand. “Think about it and make sure to give us a call as soon as you’ve made up your mind.” She reached into her pocket and pulled out a business card, holding it out for me to grab.

  I hesitated.

  A part of me couldn’t believe that this was really happening. Maybe this was some kind of dream or something. I considered pinching myself but then decided against it. Better to just grab the card and pray that this was real, instead.

  “Fantastic. We hope to hear from you soon.” With that, the woman walked away, hips swaying back and forth with an unadulterated confidence. I watched her go, envying her. She was strikingly beautiful. No doubt, having looked like that had helped her advance in the journalism world.

  “Wow, congrats,” Rodney, the cameraman, commented as soon as the woman disappeared from sight. “Are you going to take the offer?”

  “I didn’t know yet but don’t go around telling anyone.”

  “You have my word,” he said as he ran his fingers along his lips, zipping them shut.

  “Good.”

  The game started again, but I couldn’t focus. I kept looking at the card in utter disbelief. Why would they want me to lead their daily broadcast? That’s their biggest position. The goddamn spotlight.

  I fidgeted, moving my weight from foot to foot. I wanted this. Hell, I’ve dreamt about it but now that I’m actually confronted with a potential reality, it’s nerve-racking. Was I ready for it?

  “Everything alright?” Rodney asked.

  “Yeah, yeah, I’m just kind of in shock, you know?”

  “Understandable. It’s a huge promotion.”

  “Monumental.”

  Just then, the Baltimore crowd screamed. They’ve won.

  Quickly, we rushed onto the field. The players are all over the place and I desperately searched for Cam.

  Through a sea of people, our eyes somehow locked. My heart thumped loud after skipping a beat. Adrenaline pumped through my veins as my breath caught in my throat.

  I stood there, my mind once again recalling an old memory.

  I’m back at the championship game. Camden had just thrown the winning touchdown. Our side of the stadium was in an uproar. I’m swallowed by the horde of excited college students but somehow, I managed to wiggle free and step onto the field.

  Before I could find my bearings, someone barreled into me. Strong arms wrapped around my waist and lifted me off the ground. The world started to spin as we circled around and around.

  “Cam!” I screamed. “Put me down!”

  I held on tight, feeling his muscular chest pressed against mine. Surely, he could feel the erratic beating of my heart.

  Cam just hugged me harder before finally setting me down on a nearby bleacher.

  I wrapped my legs around his torso and pulled him closer. “Come here,” I whispered, cupping his cheeks in my hands and reeling him into a kiss.

  Our lips collided with such tenderness that it was to melt my heart.

  He rested his hand on the small of my back as his tongue slipped into my mouth, tangling with mine.

  My pulse quickened.

  God, being with this man always made me feel like I could jump up and fly. He made me feel like a queen, a goddess—like I was the only woman in the world. And it was one hell of a feeling.

  “You’re beautiful,” he said as soon as he pulled away from the kiss.

  I blushed. “You just won the championship and you’re complimenting me? I should be the one complimenting you.”

  “Well, nothing’s stopping you, babe.” He grinned, showing off a dazzling set of pearly white teeth.

  My heart beat even faster. Fuck. Camden was hot. Too hot for his own good, or rather, for my own good. Just looking at him had my pussy quivering with desire. I wanted him. I wanted him so fucking bad. I pressed myself into him and looked into his eyes, cheeks burning.

  “Cat got your tongue?” He teased, tapping the tip of my nose with his finger.

  “No. Sorry,” I responded, trying to push back the dirty thoughts from my head. “But, anyway, you were great out there. You really had me scared for a second, there.”

  He chuckled. “There’s nothing to be scared of when I got the ball in my hands. Trust me.”

  “Right. The gold old Camden magic.”

  “That’s right,” he said with a smile before kissing me one more time. “But I much rather have some Valerie loving.”

  “Val.” I snapped out of my daze when I heard him say my name. Even now, it sent a shiver down my spine. I braced myself against it. I’m not going to fall for his tricks. Not again. Because Camden Birch wasn’t the same as the Cam I fell in love with. As soon as he became a professional, he turned cold—ice cold. It was impossible to talk to him. He was angry at everyone, lashing out at the smallest of things.

  And when he played like shit as a rookie, he shut me out. He stopped returning my calls. In the end, I had to send him an email just telling him it was over. I expected him to come find me after that. To demand answers. To fucking talk to me.

  “Why would you say such things in an email?” He’d say. “You couldn’t just break up with me.” And his eyes would darken, and he’d pin me against the wall, arms locked above my head. “I will never let you go, Val. You’re my life. You are the reason I win. Every time I win a game, the first thing I do is look for you—my lucky charm. This is all for you. Nothing makes me happier than seeing your face. That cute smile that warms my heart like nothing else. You’re my motivation. My everything. Me and you forever.” He’d lean in and kiss me. Hard. “And no email could ever change that. Our love is eternal. Our love will last until the very end.”

  I squeezed my eyes shut, desperately wanting him to show up and say those words, to prove to me that he truly did love me. For him to whisper in my ear, “I love you and no matter what happens, it's you and me until the end, baby.”

  Me and you until the end.

  “Because I couldn’t live without you.”

  For a long, long time, I waited for him. There were countless nights where I drove to the ocean and cried behind the wheel, feeling like someone had just taken a dagger to my heart and torn it from my chest.

  He tricked me. Fooled me into believing that he loved me. I sincerely thought that he was the one.

  After all, we had such an amazing time together. It wasn’t just the sex, trust me. Everything was amazing—from the late-night cuddles to cooking breakfast together. He was everything I ever wanted, and more. Sometimes, I had to pinch myself just to remind myself that it was real—that I wasn’t just d
reaming.

  Our relationship was perfect—or, at least, I thought it was.

  Guess I was just blinded by love.

  Goddamnit.

  I waited so fucking long. Months. Years. I was distraught. Heartbroken. I felt used. Foolish. Disgusted.

  It was all just a fucking game to him.

  And yet, despite it all, I still missed him. So fucking much.

  He continued to haunt me in my dreams. I found myself thinking about him more than I’d like to admit. I wished I could just bury him in my past, but I couldn’t.

  There’s an emptiness in my soul that just won’t go away.

  So, I fall asleep clutching my pillow, wishing it were him. I’d lost so much sleep over a man that had probably forgotten all about me—what we were. He’s probably sleeping like a baby right now while I struggle to relax, this aching in my heart getting sharper and sharper. One of these days, it’s just going to stop beating.

  Will he regret everything then? When it’s too late?

  Was it all a lie? All those things he said?

  I didn’t know anymore.

  The tears spilled from my cheeks and onto the pillow as I curled up into a tight, little ball, just trying to will it all away.

  But, I couldn’t. Something about our relationship was unfinished. The break up was too jagged for me to ever find closure. Cam wasn’t a cold-hearted bastard like that. I just know he wasn’t. He wouldn’t do this. Something in the story was missing.

  Too many things unsaid.

  Does he ever miss me? Does he miss me the way I miss him?

  No, of course, not.

  If he did, he would have called.

  He would have said something.

  Fuck him. I hate him.

  I threw the pillow across the room, frustrated. “Go to hell!” I screamed into the room as if he were standing right in front of me. He betrayed me. He used me. This was all some sick game to him and I’m through being the butt of his joke.

  I guess you could said I’m still not over him.

  Chapter 4

  Camden

  There she was.

  I wanted to smile but I couldn’t. After all the shit we’d been through, it just wasn’t the same anymore. If I could, I’d take it all back and go to the way things were before, but life just doesn’t work that way.

  And yet, when our eyes locked, I felt something—a small inkling of that fire that used to burn inside of me.

  She was still as beautiful as ever. I just wished she wouldn’t cake her face in so much make up. Doesn’t she understand that it’s just hindering her natural beauty? She doesn’t need all that crap.

  We stood there, worlds apart but I could tell we were both thinking about the same thing: that championship game all those years ago.

  It was one hell of a game.

  I’m starting to think that it was probably the height of my football career.

  With only a few seconds left on the clock, I managed to throw the winning touchdown. It was a flawless pass. Our wide receiver was wide opened, and he dove into the end zone like a champ.

  My team, thrilled by the victory, had rushed into the stands, getting swamped by the crowd. Other jocks slapped them on the backs, congratulating them on an epic game.

  I ignored all that and went straight for Valerie. She was standing, all alone, and I couldn’t stop myself from sweeping her into my arms. Holding her tight, we spun around and around until the world blurred into a dizzied mess. I nearly lost my footing but managed to steady myself.

  Valerie erupted with a fit of giggles that warmed my heart. I loved to hear her laugh. Plus, she was incredibly cute any time she smiled, especially with those dimples she had. She hated them, but I thought they were absolutely adorable.

  I pressed my lips to hers and held her close. I could feel her heartbeat as the kiss intensified, burning with an unspoken passion. I couldn’t wait to take her home. With this much adrenaline running through my veins, we were bound to have one hell of a night. I almost felt bad for our neighbors who’d had to listen to us fucking all night long. But that wasn’t going to stop me. I was going to play that lovely body of hers like a violin—make her scream my name—make her thighs shake—her pussy quiver. Tonight, she’d be mine.

  Breathing hard, I pulled away, looking into her eyes. “You’re beautiful.”

  Immediately, her cheeks turned red with her blush. I smiled. Damn, she was gorgeous.

  “Camden,” she responded with a stiff, formal tone of voice.

  It cut right through me. I hate that we’d grown so far apart. But, at the end of the day, I’m the only one to blame for that and I couldn’t really hold it against her. I was a real asshole, I know that, and no apology was ever going to fix what I did.

  “Mr. Birch, do you mind a few questions?” Another reporter walked up to me, but I waved them off with a flick of my wrist.

  “Mr. Birch.” Again, I ignored the flocking journalists.

  “I’m going to guess you wanted an interview,” I said to Val, giving her exclusive attention. I know she hated it—being forced into this situation—but hey, she’s the one who wanted to become a broadcast journalist. Besides, I’m the reason why she got started in the first place.

  “Yeah,” she answered, following me to a nearby bench. I sat down and downed a bottle of water. When I was younger, I could go through a game and still have enough energy to run a marathon. Now, not so much.

  “So, was today the lucky day?” I asked.

  “No.”

  “Oh, come on, baby.” I winked, reaching for her hips, about to pull her into my hips but she stepped back. There’s a clear scowl on her face but I decided to push my luck. “Dinner. My treat. Any restaurant you’d like. Come on, you know you want to say yes.”

  “Camden,” she said, pinching the bridge of her nose. “Not this, again.”

  Most people thought I flirt with her in a strictly sarcastic fashion, but I know she knows it’s genuine. She never answered my request. Guess my ‘magic’ only works in the field.

  “So, what were your thoughts going into the game?” She held the microphone to my lips waiting for me to respond.

  I shrugged.

  “Okay… Do you have anything to say about your slumping stats?”

  A low blow.

  My eyes darkened.

  I knew she’s going for the jugular. It's her way of getting back at me for what I did. It’s passive aggressive but as sharp as a papercut.

  “What about New York’s budding quarterback? They said he has the potential to become MVP.”

  I scoffed. “Good luck with that.”

  She glanced at her cameraman and sighed. “Come on, Camden, give me something to work with here.”

  “Maybe, if you go on a date with me I’d be more willing to answer some of your questions.”

  “I’m not playing this game with you.”

  “Fine.” I gave in. “If it’s a story you wanted, here.” I straightened my posture and rolled back my shoulders. “The coach trusted me all along. If he hadn’t, he would have benched me by halftime. Barron just likes to go red in the face for no reason. The color doesn’t suit him very well, but he has yet to listen to me. But, hey, I didn’t listen to any of his plays, so I guess it’s only fair.”

  “What exactly did Coach Barron said to you?”

  “Oh, you know, work that Camden magic,” I answered with a wink. “And that’s exactly what I did, baby.” I got up and walked up to her. “You should know.”

  “Cut!” She shouted, waving her hand in front of her throat.

  The cameraman stopped the reel and grinned at me.

  “Good luck,” I mouthed, knowing he was the one who would have to deal with the repercussions of my actions.

  Chapter 5

  Valerie

  “That’s definitely going viral,” Rodney said the second Cam disappeared into the locker room.

  “He’s such a prick.”

  “You have to admit, he’s p
retty funny.”

  “About as funny as a sack of potatoes,” I mumbled under my breath. “He’s just a pig who thought he could flirt with me because he’s some famous quarterback.”

  “Oh, come on, you’re just saying that because you dated him, and you haven’t gotten over it yet.”

  “I suggest you shut up before I shove this microphone down your throat,” I spat, crossing my arms over my chest. I was starting to lose my patience.

  “Jeez. Ease up, will you? What do you care? Views are views. The way I see it, he’s doing us a favor. You remember our last interview with him?”

  “I rather not.”

  “He made that comment about finishing the interview in the shower. The views were off the charts. Got a hell of a bonus for that gig.”

  “The money wasn’t worth it.” I shook my head. “I can’t believe that you’re on his side.”

  “I’m not on anyone’s side. I’m just saying that he got us views.”

  “Yeah, by being a pig,” I added.

  Rodney shrugged. “Like I said, views are views.”

  As he started to pack up his camera equipment, I snuck off. I wasn’t going to let this end here—not by a long shot. It was about time that Cam learned to take things seriously. One way or another, he was going to answer my questions. I was done being ignored.

  I followed the signs to the locker room and waited outside. A group of media workers filtered in and out, conducting their own interviews.

  Out of the corner of my eye, I spotted the woman from SportsCast. A few strands of hair had fallen from her bun, framing her round, angelic face. There was a pencil perched behind her ear. She looked like the epitome of a beautiful, professional working woman.

  Again, jealousy surged inside of me. I knew that Cam only interviewed with me, but I couldn’t help thinking that if he saw her, he’d break his rule and answer anything she asked.