Chapter 11: "Arcade Aftermath & Fake Affairs"
We arrived at my house, and I was out of the car in a heartbeat. The second my feet hit the pavement, I was already planning the quickest route to my bed.
But then—
"Kitten."
I froze. Rolled my eyes. "What?"
Raiden had gotten out too, leaning lazily against his car door like some streetlamp-lit heartthrob from a rom-com I refused to admit I'd watch.
Arms crossed, I stood there, exhaustion and irritation radiating off me like steam. "Make it quick, Whitlock. I want to sleep for eighty years."
"Remember our deal?" he said, voice maddeningly casual.
I blinked. "What deal?"
He smirked, cocked his head, and pointed to his lips. "Winner gets a kiss. First game, Babycakes."
I uncrossed my arms so fast it was almost dramatic. "What."
My face flared—hot, furious, traitorous. "That was the first game. That doesn't count anymore."
"It does count," he said smugly, mirroring my earlier stance as he folded his arms. "You backing out, Kitten?"
My heart kicked in my chest, unruly and loud. I blamed the afterglow of the arcade lights. The rush of the game. The way the moonlight framed his stupidly sharp jaw.
"I don't back out," I muttered, stepping up to him.
I tilted my head, just enough to close the space between us. My eyes dropped to his lips. I was going to do it—I was going to shut him up with the kiss he wanted so bad.
But then—
He raised a finger to my lips.
I blinked, stunned. "What the hell—?"
"Hold that reward for tomorrow," he said, straightening up and turning on his heel. "Along with that 'do whatever I say' bonus."
"What."
He was already sliding into the driver's seat.
"What."
He looked at me through the window, absolutely basking in my disbelief. "A deal's a deal, Reese. You shook on it."
"I was sleep-deprived and running on pure soda and vengeance—"
"Still counts."
"I hate you."
He grinned, started the engine. "Sure you do. Sleep tight, Kitten."
Then he drove off, just like that.
No kiss. No explanation. Just a victory lap of smugness, his smirk stamped behind my eyelids like a cursed image.
I stood there for a good five seconds, blinking at the silence he left behind.
Then I turned, walked into the house, collapsed face-first onto my bed, and screamed into my pillow.
Not because I lost.
But because a part of me wanted to kiss him.
Stupid arcade. Stupid Raiden. Stupid deal.
And stupid me—for falling asleep still smiling like an idiot, replaying the moment over and over again like a teenage cliché with a crush.
The morning after, I stood in front of my mirror, dabbing the final touch of blush on my cheeks. The events from last night still clung to my thoughts like glitter you couldn't shake off. Raiden's voice. His smug smile. That stupid finger to my lips.
I scowled at my reflection.
Then—
Honk honk.
My brows snapped together.
A beat later, one of the maids called from downstairs, voice chipper and loud enough to reach the heavens:
"Miss Reese, your boyfriend is here!"
My blush arrived before I even processed the words. "Boyfriend?" I muttered, grabbing my bag. "Raiden. What does he want now?"
I hurried down the stairs faster than usual, practically skipping steps because if any of my sisters—or worse, my mom—caught wind of this, the teasing would be nuclear-level. And me? I didn't handle flustered well. I combusted.
But as soon as I reached the last step, fate laughed in my face.
Because there he was.
Raiden.
Standing inside the house.
Talking to Mom.
And laughing.
My face drained of color like a cartoon character. I swear I could hear ominous music playing.
Mom turned toward me with that smile.
"Oh honey," she said sweetly, "Raiden was just telling me about your little arcade date yesterday. He said you almost beat him. How adorable!"
I blinked. "Almost?"
Raiden smiled like the devil in a school uniform. "She's competitive. I respect it."
Mom touched her heart like she just witnessed the beginning of a romcom. "You two are so cute together."
"We're not—" I started, but she was already walking away, humming wedding bells.
I turned to Raiden, eyes narrowed. "Why are you inside my house?"
He shrugged. "Your mom let me in. She's nice."
"She likes you. You're dangerous here."
"And yet," he said, gesturing to the door, "you're still coming with me."
I stared at him. "Are you giving me a ride or summoning me to my doom?"
"Both," he said with a wink. "But hey, school waits for no one. Let's go, Kitten."
I groaned. "One of these days, I'm going to actually strangle you."
"Better save that energy," he said, already opening the passenger door for me. "You owe me a reward today, remember?"
My eye twitched.
Stupid smug Raiden.
Stupid charming Raiden.
And very, very stupid me—for smiling again as I walked out the door.
I slid into the passenger seat with all the enthusiasm of someone heading to a dentist appointment. Raiden shut the door behind me like some sort of gentleman—which would've been cute if he weren't the most annoying person on Earth.
He climbed into the driver's seat, glanced at me, and smirked.
"You're quiet. Didn't sleep well?" he asked, shifting into gear.
"I was too busy screaming into my pillow, thanks," I muttered, arms crossed.
He chuckled. "Cute."
"Not cute. Anguished. There's a difference."
We pulled out of the driveway. I noticed the playlist he had on. Lo-fi instrumentals. Soothing, mellow, disgustingly pleasant.
"Didn't peg you for the chill playlist type," I said, eyeing the stereo.
"Gotta keep my mind calm when you're around," he said without looking at me. "You're a lot to handle."
I gawked. "Me? You're the one who manipulates arcade deals and invades my personal space."
"It was a fair deal. You shook on it."
"I was compromised."
"You were caffeinated and hyper-competitive. I saw the fire in your eyes."
I groaned and looked out the window. "You're insufferable."
"And yet you're in my car," he said smoothly.
I shot him a glare. "You showed up at my house unannounced. If I didn't come with you, my mom would start planning the wedding."
Raiden laughed, and my heart tripped a little—traitor—because that laugh always did something to me.
"I don't know," he said, tapping the wheel casually. "I wouldn't mind seeing you in white."
I turned so fast my neck cracked. "What?!"
He grinned but didn't look away from the road. "A white dress, Kitten. Like you wore yesterday. Relax."
I pressed my fingers to my temples. "I swear, you're aging me ten years."
"Good thing I like older women."
I let out an actual strangled sound. "Raiden."
"Yes, darling?"
"Drive faster."
"You're blushing."
"I will jump out of this moving vehicle."
"Window's locked."
I curled into the seat, burying my face in my palms, groaning in despair. But the corners of my lips—despite my greatest efforts—tilted upward.
And Raiden?
He just kept driving, one hand on the wheel, the other drumming to the beat, looking far too pleased with himself.
As we pulled into the school parking lot, my stomach twisted with an odd mix of anxiety and irritation. I wasn't exactly thrilled about the whole 'fake relationship' act, but Raiden? He looked like he was about to star in some rom-com, leaning back in his seat with that smug grin plastered across his face.
"Ready for our grand entrance, Kitten?" he asked, raising an eyebrow at me.
I shot him a look that was a combination of dread and exasperation. "I really don't want to do this."
"Too bad," he replied, turning off the engine. "You're already stuck with me. Let's give 'em a show."
Before I could protest any further, he was already out of the car, and the door was being opened for me. I hesitated for a second, glancing around at the campus—some students were already milling about, gossiping, laughing, the usual morning chaos. And of course Raiden's presence was magnetic.
"Come on, babycakes," he said, offering me his hand.
I glared at him but couldn't help the ridiculous flush creeping up my neck as I took his hand—because he was right. Everyone was watching, and now it was too late to back out.
We walked towards the campus gates, Raiden all too eager to play the part. He slung his arm around my shoulders, pulling me in a little too close for comfort—too intimate for two people who weren't really a couple.
"Morning, love," he said a little too loudly, leaning down and pressing a kiss to the top of my head.
I forced a smile, ignoring the burning sensation of my cheeks. "Morning to you too, love," I replied flatly, trying to act like I didn't want to crawl into a hole and die.
"Here," he murmured, brushing a strand of hair behind my ear, looking so annoyingly natural. "Let me carry your bag."
Fake lovers, Reese. Fake.
We walked past groups of students who shot us surprised glances, some curious, others whispering behind their hands. Raiden didn't help; he practically radiated confidence and charm, making it impossible to ignore the way people were reacting to us.
"You're cute when you're shy, Kitten," he teased, squeezing my shoulder.
"I'm not shy," I retorted, even though I probably was, given the way I kept my gaze firmly ahead, trying to ignore the increasingly exaggerated whispers around us.
"Oh, you totally are." He smiled, the kind of smile that made my stomach do flips. "You're blushing again."
"I'm not," I said quickly, a little too quickly, causing him to laugh.
We made our way toward the entrance, and I was sure every pair of eyes was on us—on me—but Raiden? He looked like he was having the time of his life, clearly reveling in the attention.
"Let's make this interesting," he said suddenly, leaning closer to my ear as we approached the school building.
I shot him a sharp look, feeling the heat rise in my face once more. "What now?"
His lips curled into that teasing smile. "Let's see how many people we can make uncomfortable before the bell rings."
"Oh, great. Just what I need," I muttered, but honestly, part of me wasn't sure whether I was annoyed or kind of into this whole act.
With a dramatic sigh, I rolled my eyes and leaned into him, allowing him to drape his arm around me again. We passed a group of girls who looked so ready to gossip, and sure enough, one of them leaned in and whispered to her friend.
I fought the urge to groan out loud. Great. Let the rumors begin.
Raiden squeezed me a little tighter, his grin wide. "You know you love the attention, Kitten."
"I really, really don't."
"You can deny it all you want, but you're getting used to this," he said with a smirk, leaning down so his lips brushed my ear. "Maybe next time we can up the ante."
I swear, if this boy even thinks about suggesting anything ridiculous again, I'm going to—
"Good morning, lovebirds," a familiar voice called out from behind us. Of course, it was Yuan with Yasha trailing behind him.
"Ugh," I muttered under my breath.
Raiden turned to face them with a grin that could've rivaled the sun. "Morning, Yasha. Morning, Yuan." He leaned over and placed a quick kiss on the top of my head. "You two have any plans for today?"
Yasha raised an eyebrow, a teasing glint in her eyes as she looked between me and Raiden. "Maybe they're too busy making out to notice we're here."
I groaned inwardly, but Raiden shot her a wink. "Maybe. Can't help it, Kitten's irresistible." He squeezed me again, and my stomach did a strange twist.
"Ugh, I'm going to class," I muttered, pulling away from him and trying not to be noticed by the now-growing crowd around us. "I'll see you later, Raiden."
He grinned. "I'll be waiting for that kiss, Kitten."
"It wasn't a crush. Just mild heart failure triggered by smug grins, close proximity, and one very illegal wink. That's all."