27. Ivy #2
Despite my inner turmoil, I smile cordially and let Teddy guide me toward the seats. He stands over me, making sure I’m okay, a simple nod sufficing before he takes the spot behind me so we’re sitting back to back.
My pulse thunders in my ears, leaving me to wonder if I’m even going to hear the question, when two paddles are placed in my hand. One red. One blue.
“Red represents Ivy, blue for Teddy. Are we ready?” I nod, too scared to use my tongue as the guy goes into full presenter mode. “Who is most likely to injure themselves?”
I scoff at the irony, not missing a beat as I lift my red paddle. Two near-death experiences in a matter of weeks is a sure winner.
Teddy must do the same because the guy and a few others cheer around us.
“One hundred has been contributed. Excellent. Let’s see if we can get the same answer again for another hundred. Who is more likely to decide where you go for date night?”
My heart stutters. That’s not so easy.
Blinking down at the paddles in my hand, I close my eyes and guess.
Blue.
The glum sigh that filters around us confirms we chose differently.
“It’s okay, Princess. We’d end up at the same place no matter who chose,” Teddy insists, making my heart flutter, but I remind myself it’s for the cameras and audience we’ve garnered.
“And where would that be?” Norton pushes, making my cheeks heat, but Teddy seems to take it in his stride.
“The fencing mat.”
I smile. A real one. But I dip my head, hiding it from the outside world.
“Adorable, aren’t they?” I hate that he’s talking about me like I’m not here, but I brush it off as he keeps us on track. “Who would be the reason why you’re late?”
Uncertainty wars inside of me until I recall the fact that I arrived later than planned because I was helping him tonight. I lift the blue paddle again and earn a round of applause, confirming that we selected the same one.
“I’m sorry,” Teddy says with a hint of amusement, and I don’t need to look over my shoulder to know there’s a smug grin on his lips.
“Let’s up it to five hundred for the next one,” Norton confirms, making me nervous as I wait with bated breath. “Who is more likely to start a fight?”
I don’t miss a beat, choosing blue again, earning a holler from the crowd, and I smile, the excitement infectious as Norton clears his throat. “Final question for one thousand. Can we get it right?”
“We can try,” I sing, and he grins.
“Who said I love you first?”
Bile burns up my throat as embarrassment colors my cheeks.
“She’s blushing, isn’t she?” Teddy says with a snicker, attempting to lighten the mood, but I’m drowning in it, on the verge of choking on my own saliva, when I feel his hand on my thigh.
“It’s private, Princess. But for charity,” he adds, consoling me, and despite the heat at his touch, I see what he’s saying.
Nodding, I take a deep breath and take one for the team since the majority of the answers have been him.
Red.
Cheers erupt, and my embarrassment heightens, but for an entirely different reason this time.
Someone grabs the paddles from my hands before fingers intertwine with mine and I’m tugged from my seat. A second later, I’m engulfed in Teddy’s arms, a subtle fresh scent with a hint of citrus flooding my system as he holds me.
I wrap my arms around his neck with genuine excitement buzzing through me. Quickly realizing the error of my ways a moment later, I stiffen. Reading my body better than I can myself, he releases me, rubbing my back soothingly as he gives me the space I desperately need but apparently don’t want.
“Congratulations, you two. That’s a phenomenal contribution to the money raised this evening. Do you think you can do us the honor of one more challenge?” Norton asks, and despite my desire to break my mask and run far away, I nod.
“Of course.”
Teddy nods, a knowing smile on his face as his eyes meet mine. “One more, Norton. Then I want to spend some time with my fated mate.”
I shiver.
Hating what those damn words do to me, despite how much I hate him.
“It’s funny that you mention that, Teddy. Because the voting has been off the charts, and we’ve had a sensational bid if you guys are willing to dedicate your night to the cause.”
My night?
I don’t like the sound of that.
“That’s fantastic news, Norton, but it depends on what it entails. My girl needs her sleep.”
“Of course. Luckily for you, the challenge set is to spend the night in The Love Hut.”
The love what ?
I can’t stop my eyebrows from rising as I follow Norton’s pointed finger toward the back of the room. I spot them immediately. Three huts are set up a few inches above the other students.
It’s as if the universe knew I wanted a night to be normal and have fun with my friends, but decided to laugh mockingly in my face instead.
“It is for a good cause, remember?” Norton adds, driving his point home, and I feel the invisible press of a wall behind me, confirming I’ve been backed into a corner and left with no alternative.
How is this my life right now?
Pressed against the side of one of my hated mates, like I don’t despise him with every ounce of my being, mostly, I do the unthinkable.
“Of course.”
My cheeks ache and I want to cry.
I had no plans to keep my promise to Teddy earlier, but I mean it now. Once this is done, my people-pleasing days are over.
I’m melting on the inside as Teddy squeezes my hand, luring me to the dark side as Norton speaks, setting the pretense as he draws to a stop at the bottom of the few steps leading up to the obnoxiously named “Love Hut.”
“See you in the morning,” he says, way too joyously, leaving the two of us to stare after him before I clear my throat.
Teddy leans in close, pressing his lips against my ear. “Mask in place, Princess. There are cameras everywhere.”
Dammit.
I swallow down the despair, digging my nails into his arm as I take a deep breath. Mustering as much strength as possible, I lean back, taking in our sleeping arrangements for the night.
The tent is shaped like a tepee with fairy lights dusting across every surface. The curtains are pulled back, and a small smattering of blankets and cushions sit outside, while inside is laced with even more lights.
Daring to take a step inside, I release Teddy and duck down, planting my hands on my hips as I gape in dismay, but it’s dressed in a fake smile in case there are any further cameras in here too.
I thought my reality couldn’t get any worse.
I was wrong.
There’s only one bed.
The tip of Teddy’s nose brushes my ear before he whispers. “I’ll take the floor.”
My eyelids flutter as I clench them closed. Taking a deep breath for good measure, I twist my head to bring my mouth to his ear. “And ruin the mirage? Also, stop saying considerate stuff like that. I don’t like it,” I add, my hysteria whittling through in a hiss as he snickers.
“You don’t?”
“Nope.”
To the outside world we look like we’re in some loving embrace, like we’re familiar, when I’m secretly demanding him to not forget the asshole that he is.
“What would you prefer, Princess?”
Why does he sound so sultry right now?
My nostrils flare. “I want us to not forget that this is a mask, a show. I don’t need or want anything else from you.
Whatever you’re trying to do, what usually works on others, it doesn’t apply here.
” Anger burns through my veins at the reminder of the girls usually draped over him and I take a step back.
Sucking in a breath, my skin cools, my mind remembering why we don’t like him as I plaster a fake smile across my lips.
Teddy scrubs a hand through his hair, feelings in his eyes that don’t reach his lips. “Whatever you say, Princess.”
“You’re doing it now,” I mutter, my lips unmoving as I cock a brow at him, and he lifts his hands in surrender.
I need to get out of here, but there’s no chance of that. How am I supposed to survive this night with my mind and heart still intact if he’s being… considerate?
“What do we do now?” I ask, turning my attention to the open drapes, revealing the rest of the academy in the distance, yet I feel like I’m a million miles away.
“We get comfortable, enjoy the treats,” he explains, pointing off to the side where a small basket sits open with a bottle of champagne, glasses, and sweet treats on display.
I dive for it, but Teddy beats me to it, grabbing the bottle of champagne with stealthy fingers while I redirect my attention to the glasses. To my dismay, when I peer back at him, he’s outside, waving at a camera. Despite my better judgment, I follow him out, reaching for his ear once again.
“Did you see any cameras inside?” I ask, and he shakes his head. “So why are we out here then?”
He tilts his head, pressing his nose against mine so he can look deep into my eyes. “So I don’t see the hate in your eyes.”
My breath is gone, my heart unable to handle his truth. But he distracts me with the pop of the bottle, earning a cheer from somewhere in the distance. As he takes the glasses from my hand, my gaze latches on familiar eyes in the crowd, a cocked brow, and a wrinkled nose.
“What the fuck?” Meadow mouths, and I smile wider, unable to reveal the despair inside me.
Instead, I take the filled glass, staring at the bubbles for a moment before I take a big sip, almost downing it all in one. My mother will be riddled with disgust if she’s watching.
Good.
The rest slips down my throat with ease as Teddy takes my hand, bringing my curled knuckles to his lips. A chill runs across them, leaving goosebumps in their wake.
But not the scared kind.
Worse.
The kind that makes me want to feel it again.
Once again, he leans in close, bringing those goddamn lips to my ear. “They want a show from us, Princess. All we have to do is offer them a few minutes where they get to be envious of our love, and then we can hide away for the rest of the night.”
It’s not how I intended for my night to go, but I agree. It’s the only choice we’ve got.
Leaning back, my smile widens as I subtly wave my empty glass at him. He fills it up halfway, and I clink my glass against his this time.
If it’s a show they want, and I’m promising it’s the last one I’m ever going to give, I can knock it out of the park. Or that’s what I tell myself as I step closer, pressing my palm against his chest as I take a sip of my bubbles.
His hand finds its way to my waist, his thumb dusting across the tiny bit of exposed flesh as my pajama top rises an inch, and I feel lightheaded.
It’s a dangerous game, one I’m unable to back down from. It seems the heat from the impending burn I’m going to feel when my reality comes crashing back down to Earth is more alluring than it is worrisome.
He stares deep into my eyes, holding my attention as if there isn’t a sea of people in the room below, watching our every move. Never mind those watching us from the comfort of their own homes.
“Are you using your magic on me right now?” I breathe, hiding my lips behind my champagne glass, and he grins, shaking his head slowly.
“I would never. This is all you, Princess.”
My eyes narrow a fraction as his hand slips from my waist to my chin, the touch intimate and raw, but I see the challenge in his eyes, as if he’s baiting me to see if I’ll back down.
I couldn’t even if I wanted to.
I’m hooked.
Curling my fingers into his t-shirt, I manage to nudge closer so our chests connect. My face prickles with anticipation as he runs his thumb across my bottom lip.
“For show,” I whisper, and he shakes his head slowly.
“For us.”
His lips collide with mine a second later.
The touch is delicate and soft as I stand frozen in place, my pulse ringing in my ears as I process what the hell is going on.
Two breaths, two sharp inhales that alter my brain chemistry, and all I can taste is him.
My lips glide against his as my body hums and I melt into his hold, a soft moan parting my mouth as he traces his tongue over my lips.
Jolting back, I stare at him with wide eyes and my fingertips ghosting over my lips.
There’s no coming back from this.
I’m screwed.