There's a cascade of voices coming from the common area and I catch Zander in the centre of it all. He must have made a joke because the crowd of students flanking him are all holding on to their sides, aching as they laugh. 

He's absolutely glowing under all the attention, basking in their praise and adoration. After all today is his day, although after spending more than enough time with the playboy it feels like every day is Zander day. 

I walk past the corridor and he catches sight of me, the smile on his face growing. My heart lurches, thinking about how close I was to kissing Luke mere seconds ago. A door shuts behind me and I catch Zander's gaze shifting to something behind. 

I resist the urge to look, even though the anger on Zander's face is evident enough that the person behind me is Luke. Meaning he saw me coming out of the same room that Luke was in. 

I bite my lip, looking around for my safe zone that is Daphne and Stacey. There's a tuft of curly blonde hair visible from the corner of the common room and I make my way to Stacey. 

"Danielle, there you are," Zander says, a little too loudly, stopping me in my tracks. "Everyone, I'd like to introduce you to my girlfriend." 

He emphasises on the word and it feels like my feet have turned into clay, merging with the floor. The rest of the student body looks just as stunned, like he'd just mentioned he was making a trip to the moon. 

With Zander's reputation it would be more likely that he'd travel to space than settle down with someone. Which is why numerous students burst out laughing. 

"Dude, come on. You've got to be joking," Someone says but I can't recall who spoke. Everyone's a blur to me, my embarrassment making it hard to recognise all the scrutinising faces. The guys are looking at us like we are a joke but some of the girls have started to size me up, their expressions less friendly. 

A few of his teammates bend over cackling, like he'd just said the funniest thing. He reaches my side and puts an arm around my shoulder. I turn to him but he isn't looking at his chortling friends, instead his gaze is fixed on Luke who has just walked in from the hallway. 

Zander's arm weighs down on my shoulders, it feels a lot like he's marking his territory. 

"Girlfriend?" Luke answers in stride. "Never thought I'd hear the word from your mouth." 

"Well I guess there's a first for everything." He then regards me adoringly and places a kiss on my cheek. "And the right one for it all."

My skin warms at the contact but more from discomfiture than anything. 

"So you're in a relationship now?" Josh, one of the Daltech linebackers steps forward towards us. 

"I guess we are." Zander answers, pulling me closer into a side hug for confirmation. 

I try to smile when Josh looks at me but my cheeks are frozen, the muscles underneath stiff from panic. I didn't expect him to do something so brazen, didn't expect him to make us official in front of everyone like this. 

And I have a dirty feeling it has everything to do with Luke and not me. 

My phone buzzes in my bag again and I try to ignore it, try to push Elizabeth's call from my mind. I pray she stays oblivious till the three month mark is over but that might be harder than I had originally anticipated. 

I don't like the way Luke is looking at me either. There's an inquisitive frown on his face, like he's more suspicious than anything. 

"Well congrats bro!" Josh fist bumps his friend and winks at me. "Danielle, you're a lucky girl. Never thought my boy would settle down but I guess what's meant to be will be." 

Each of his friends draw closer to congratulate us, some of their smiles genuine, most not. 

Especially Luke's. 

"I guess a congratulations are in order." He leans in to hug his best friend and Zander reciprocates stiffly.

We only nod at each other formally and once people have stopped stopping to talk to us, Zander leans in to whisper in my ear. 

"Want to tell me why you two were together in Luke's room?" He's trying to keep calm but I can see the jealousy in his eyes. "Did anything happen?"

His tone comes out unnecessarily sharp, I feel like I'm caged in by his stare and his possessive hold. I want to shrug out from under his arm but it feels like his grip has tightened. 

"I went in to the nearest room to take my best friend's call." I hold up my phone, that has thankfully stopped buzzing. "Didn't realise it belonged to Luke till he walked in on me." 

"There's nothing going on between the two of you, right? Do you have feelings for him?" 

It's funny he should ask me that right after declaring our relationship to everyone present. 

"I wouldn't be your girlfriend if I did," I tell him, hoping my beating heart doesn't betray my words. Zander doesn't know how close we were before I ran out of Luke's room. He doesn't know that Luke's hand was wrapped around mine so tightly. Or that I didn't want him to let go. 

That I wanted him to hold me longer. 

Thankfully, Zander appears satisfied with my answer. His attention quickly moves to the group that has started to play a very raunchy version of truth or dare by the couch. 

"You're all mine now." He murmurs distractedly before releasing me, his hand slipping down my arms to intertwine with my fingers. 

We spend the evening side by side, engaging in idle conversations. Zander does most of the talking which I am utterly grateful for because I feel drained. All I want to do is go home and lie in bed, pretending that my feelings don't exist. 

Ever so often my wandering gaze would settle on Luke, our eyes would meet and my guilt would multiply. 

My phone buzzes again and I catch a series of messages from Liz. I don't want to look at them now but out of curiosity I open the first text. My chest tightens when I see a picture of Zander and I walking into the grand hall where the gala dinner was held. 

Our proximity is disputable, he isn't holding me and the distance between us is safe. But we are standing side by side, making it obvious that we interacted during the event. Her messages follow right after.

"You lied to me?" 

"Danielle, what the fuck is going on?" 

"Are you dating him?"

"There's no way you went there for some stupid research."

A ball of worry lodges in my throat and I quickly excuse myself from the crowd. Stacey and Daphne have been eyeing me worriedly the whole time, they rush after me when I gesture for them to follow. 

We rush to the nearest exit door and huddle in an empty stairway, the sound of music and laughter a distant noise drifting from the stairwell above. 

"What is it? What's wrong?" Stacey asks and I immediately show her my phone. 

"Shit. Shit. Shit." Daphne murmurs. 

"You have to call her. Tell her it was a coincidence." Stacey says, panic flickering in those emerald green eyes of hers. "Screw it. Just tell her the truth." 

The blood drains from my face. "I can't do that. It would ruin everything." 

"You have to or she would hate you forever." Daphne admonishes. "She'll hate all of us." 

"Not if she knew I did this for her." I argue. 

Elizabeth calls again, my ringtone echoing loudly around us. I quickly answer the call, knowing I can't avoid her forever. 

"Liz. We met at the ball and we exchanged a few words. That's it." I dig my nails into my palm to keep myself calm, to keep my voice firm. 

"Why were you there?" She asks me in a frantic voice. "Why were you two together?"

I run a hand through my hair and lean against the cold stone wall for support. "I was chosen to attend as an honour roll student. I went because of the Monet being auctioned off. Also because the person I was interviewing for my paper on the housing crisis attended the same event. You know Senator Wyatt?" 

That has to be one of the closest saves I've ever thought of so quickly. 

"Zander's father? He's a reference for your paper?" Elizabeth wonders in surprise. 

"Yes, he was acting chairman to the Westwood chain during the subprime disaster." 

"Oh," She seems to calm down and I turn to Stacey and Daphne, my body slowly relaxing. Stacey looks a little impressed but Daphne seems horrified. He expression makes me frown in confusion. 

"Sorry for harassing you about the whole thing. I feel like such an idiot now." Liz says over the phone softly. 

"It's fine. You didn't know." I tell her, earning a look from the two girls standing in front of me. 

Once the call is over, I smile at them. "Crisis averted girls. Don't worry we're in the clear for now." 

"Have to say I'm impressed with the quick thinking. Don't think I would have been able to come up with something intelligent so quickly, " Stacey says, patting me on the back. 

We chat as we walk up the stairs and Stacey asks me about my reaction to Zander's proposal. I tell her about our encounter in his room but Daphne's been uncharacteristically silent the entire time. 

"What is it?" I finally ask her before we head back to the common area. 

"Nothing," Daphne shrugs, not meeting my eyes. 

I block her path, forcing her to face me. "It's definitely not nothing. You look like I just killed a cat." 

She finally relents, crossing her arms over each other defensively. "I've never seen you lie so smoothly. Didn't know you could do it so well. That too to our best friend." 

Her words feel like needles jabbing at my skin, making me prickle with irritation. "I had to." 

"I don't know, Danielle. It sounded harmless when we started this whole thing. But now Zander has made you his official girlfriend and you've started lying to Liz. Do you really think this is going to end well?" 

I nod sternly, because it has to end well. It's going perfectly so far, soon I'll have his heart wrapped in the palm of my hand and I'll crush it for Elizabeth. 

"Before you judge me, remember you were completely in agreement with this plan to begin with." I tell her with gritted teeth. 

Daphne only sighs, her face filled with disappointment. "I know but you're changing, Danielle. And I don't think I like the person you're becoming."