Everyone thought I was secretly in love with Chase Sterling. So when he lost a round of Truth or Dare, the crowd roared, pressuring me to kiss the star athlete from the rival university in his place. My breath hitched in my throat. "Come on, Elara. It's just a kiss, it won't kill you." "Yeah, don't worry. Chase will understand." Chase leaned back, looking at me with that signature lazy, arrogant smirk. "Yeah, Elara. Do me a solid, will you?" He was betting on me refusing. He knew I was conservative, the quiet girl who never stepped out of line. But I lowered my head and whispered, "Fine." Chase’s smile faltered instantly. His expression darkened. "Fine then. Three seconds. Not a millisecond less." "See? I told you she'd do anything for Chase." "Chase has her trained well." Ignoring their jeers, I stood up and walked slowly toward Liam Thorne. I stood on my tiptoes, leaned in, and pressed my lips against his. 1 Chase Sterling was used to running the show. He’d seen it all. But tonight, in the private VIP room of the restaurant, he lost a game and picked "Truth." Someone asked him if, in the three years we’d known each other, he had ever felt a spark for me. everyone leaned in, eager for the gossip. Chase paused for a second, then burst out laughing. "Who? Elara?? A spark? You’re kidding, right?" The room erupted in laughter. Only two people at the table remained silent. Me, sitting on the far edge of the booth. And Liam Thorne, sitting right next to Chase. Liam was the captain of the basketball team at the university next door. Tonight’s dinner was organized by Chase after their game. I had practically begged him to let me tag along. I hadn't said a word all night, feeling completely out of place. Eventually, the group moved on to drinking and games. Chase, lounging in his chair, lost again. This time, he picked "Dare." The card read: Kiss the person to your left for three seconds. To his left was Liam. Everyone looked at Liam. He didn't react, just calmly continued eating his appetizers. Chase threw an arm around Liam’s shoulder. "Bro, you don't mind if I kiss you, right?" Liam, known for being cold and distant, paused his fork. He offered a half-smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Actually, I do mind." The crowd started hooting. "Chase, man, Liam doesn't swing that way. Just get a girl to sub in for you." "Let Elara do it." "She'd do anything for you, right?" I stayed silent. Chase looked at me, his eyes dancing with mischief. "Elara, help me out?" He was so sure I'd say no. "Fine," I said softly. The room went quiet. Chase’s face dropped. "Okay. Three seconds." I walked over to Liam. His face was flawless. It felt like a crime to touch him and ruin that perfection. My gaze drifted from his sharp jawline to his lips. Wait, did Chase specify where to kiss? He didn't. So, cheek or lips... it didn't matter, right? I bent down, intending to aim for his cheek, but at the last moment, I turned and pressed my lips firmly against his. I felt Liam’s long lashes flutter against my skin. His Adam's apple bobbed. The room exploded. "Whoa! Elara!" "Three seconds! Count it!" "3." "2." "2.5." "2.3." Liam’s lips were incredibly soft. My entire body was trembling with nerves. "2.15..." Chase couldn't take it anymore. He stood up abruptly, breaking the countdown. "Three seconds are up. Done." He yanked me back by my arm, putting distance between Liam and me. Sensing Chase’s foul mood, the group quieted down and awkwardly went back to their food. 2 On the drive back, the silence in the car was suffocating. Chase stared straight ahead at the road before suddenly speaking. "Elara, you were getting back at me, weren't you?" I blinked, pulling myself out of my thoughts. "What?" "You saw me kissing that girl outside the dorms last week, didn't you? So you used Liam to get revenge? You're so petty. That was just a fling." Kissing? I recalled vaguely that I had gone to drop off some notes for Chase a week ago. I did see him making out with a stunning girl by his car. It was loud and public. Very on-brand for Chase Sterling—wild and unattached. But I hadn't felt a thing. I had told Chase before that I didn't like him. He just never believed me. 3 When I was ten, my family went bankrupt. My father fled the country to escape debt, and shortly after, my mother went abroad with a friend. My uncle took me in. By then, my uncle had remarried into the wealthy Sterling family. He was Chase’s stepfather. I moved into the Sterling estate. Chase was my age, but he was a terror. He loved to tease me, prank me, and order me around. After six months, I was done putting up with him. Chase sensed my defiance. He threw a stack of cash at me with a sneer. "Elara, you're broke, right? Be my personal assistant. I'll pay you a salary." He wasn't wrong. I had no one. I couldn't rely on my uncle forever; he was already walking on eggshells in the Sterling household. I needed money. Money meant freedom. Money meant a safety net. At first, Chase knew I stuck around for the cash. But eventually, he convinced himself I was actually in love with him. It started in our sophomore year of high school. Chase and Liam lived in the same luxury gated community and went to the same private school. I went to the public school on the other side of town. I only came back to the Sterling estate on weekends. When I heard Chase had a game against Liam, I asked if I could come. Chase eyed me suspiciously. "I thought you had to study? You said you weren't going out." "I'm not too busy this week," I lied. Chase leaned in, invading my personal space. "My dad said you've been pulling all-nighters studying. You came back just for my game?" His eyes lit up with narcissistic realization. "You like me, don't you? Wow, Elara, get a grip!" I waved my hands frantically. "No, you misunderstood, I don't..." Chase ignored me, already dialing his best friend. "Dude, you were right. Elara is totally into me. Her grades dropped three spots this week because she's distracted, but she still came to watch me play. Dinner's on me." I found out later his friends had bet that I wasn't just doing it for the money. At the court, I didn't look at Chase once. My eyes were glued to Liam. He wore a light-colored jersey. His hands were strong, his movements graceful. When he jumped for a shot, his jersey lifted, revealing toned abs. I kept my head down, terrified someone would catch me staring. Nobody would ever link someone like me to someone like Liam. Nobody knew about the summer I was fifteen. I used to sneak out at night to go through the recycling bins in the rich neighborhood. Rich people threw away amazing things. Designer bags with tiny scratches, clothes with tags still on, electronics. I could sell them for good money. One night, at the last house on the block—Liam's house—I saw something glinting in the storm drain near the curb. It was a ring. I spent twenty minutes fishing it out with a stick. Just as I grabbed it, the front door opened. Liam ran out, wearing silk pajamas, looking panicked. He was tall, clean, and smelled like expensive soap. I was holding a trash bag and covered in grime. I turned bright red. He saw the ring in my hand and let out a huge breath. He looked at me without a hint of disgust. "I'm so sorry," he said, breathing hard. "Could I buy that ring back from you? My parents were fighting and... it got thrown out. I thought it was gone." That was the first time Liam Thorne really saw me. But I had known him since I moved in. He was the golden boy. Even my aunt, who hated everyone, praised him. He was everything Chase wasn't—polite, disciplined, brilliant. I handed him the ring. It was grimy from the drain, so I wiped it with a tissue from my pocket. "Here." "Thank you. Wait here, let me get my phone, I'll transfer you..." "No need," I mumbled. I grabbed my bag of "treasures" and ran into the night. I felt ashamed of the difference between us. But that night, I made a promise to myself. One day, I would stand in front of him as an equal. I started secretly following his life. I went to every game he played against Chase. I found out which city he wanted to go to for college. He became my goal. While chasing that goal, I fixed myself. That year, I cracked the top three in my class. For the first time, teachers looked at me with respect. Only Chase thought I was doing it for him. When I nagged him to study (per my uncle's request), he thought it was love. When I went to games, he thought it was love. When I endured his pranks for my paycheck, he thought it was love. I stopped trying to explain. After graduation, I got into a university in Boston, right next to Liam's Ivy League school. Surprisingly, Chase followed us to Boston, attending a different college nearby. During freshman year, I didn't see Chase much. But sophomore year, the inter-collegiate games started up. I went to every single one. Chase told his friends he’d never seen a girl so clingy.
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