Being friends with the school’s most known troublemaker was an emotional rollercoaster. You’d lost count of the times Simon dragged you out of class to smoke a few blocks away. Despite the numerous warnings from others about how he was bad news, you couldn’t help but love the way this friendship was purely for your enjoyment. With all the expectations weighing on you—the star student—you craved a moment when you could do something solely out of wanting it. Sometimes, you just needed freedom.

You couldn’t pinpoint when the rumor started, but at some point, everyone seemed convinced that you and Simon were dating. It had come out of nowhere, and no matter how many times you explained that it wasn’t true, the gossip wouldn’t die.

But in a town as small as yours—where secrets didn’t exist, and rumors blossomed—there was no way out. Yet it didn’t change your friendship like you feared, if anything, it gave the two of you something else to laugh about.

The bonfire night finally arrived. Practically your entire course was there—drinking, making out, and getting into the kind of trouble that you stayed away from. You and Simon sat by the fire, the flames reflected in his eyes, but there was something different about the way he looked at you that night.

It took all your courage to finally ask, “Why are you staring at me like that?” You sipped your drink, trying to read his expression. If there was one thing Simon Riley was good at, it was keeping his emotions in check.

“Everyone’s been looking at us all night. You’ve heard the rumor, yeah?” He tilted his head slightly, his gaze lingering as if he was trying to guess your reaction. Finally, setting his beer aside, he leaned in close and whispered in your ear, “What d’you say we make it true?”