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His smirk grows wider, and it's becoming clear that the more I challenge him, the more intrigued he becomes. "You're a tough cookie, Tyley, I'll give you that."
Trying and probably failing to conceal a grin, I take a swig of my water bottle.
"Alright, then. Have you seen the latest gossip articles about us?"
I raise an eyebrow at him, baffled by his question. "Us? Excuse me? There’s no us. I thought I made that clear last night.”
“Well, the press doesn’t seem to agree with you.”
“What on earth are you talking about?”
"So you didn't see your ex's video either. Well, you're in for a treat."
Grayson pulls out his phone and plays the video of Adam bad-mouthing him. I watch, my eyes widening in surprise as Adam spews insults and accuses Grayson of stealing me from him.
"What the hell? Where did he get the idea we're dating?"
He prompts me to continue browsing through the news and social media posts related to this whole mess. The answer to my question soon becomes evident.
They paint a picture of a passionate romance between Grayson and me, claiming that he's been dating me in secret for months and that he stepped in to defend me from a jealous, violent ex.
"Where on earth did they get this information from?"
"Well, some of it is organic, people gossiping about what happened yesterday. And as for the rest, I think my manager might be involved.”
I hand him back his phone, the thought of having any part of a fake relationship for the sake of publicity leaving a sour taste in my mouth.
"This is ridiculous. I didn't agree to any of this. Who would believe this crap anyway?"
Grayson chuckles. "You'd be surprised how quickly people buy into stories like this. But hey, here's an opportunity for both of us. We can use this to our advantage."
I glare at him, a surge of anger bubbling inside. "Advantage? This is all a lie, Grayson, and I'm not interested in being some sort of prop in your little PR game."
He holds up his hands defensively. "I know, I know. And believe me, I never intended for things to go this way. But Tate, that's my manager, thinks it can work wonders for both of us."
I shake my head and turn toward the locker rooms, intent on taking a shower to clean off both the sweat and the aftertaste of this stupid proposal. But Grayson isn’t done trying to sweet-talk me into his ridiculous idea.
"It's not ideal, but think about it. We go out on a few public dates, get seen around, and let the media eat it up. Meanwhile, I accept Adam's challenge and show him who's boss. You get enough publicity to boost your career and a cut of the profits from my fight. If you accept, there will be no more silly little club events for you."
I scowl at him, feeling torn between my desire to further my career and my unwillingness to be part of a fabricated relationship. "I appreciate the offer, Grayson, but I'm not interested in using you or your fame to advance my career. I want to do it based on my merit."
Instead of trying to bypass him, I turn around once more and head straight for the exit. It's just as easy to take a shower at my place, and it'll get him off my back sooner rather than later.
But as I reach the sidewalk, I'm abruptly yanked to the side.
“What the—”
I let out a sharp squeal, and I’m cut short by yet another fierce tug that has me almost stumbling to the ground. Trying to pull away from the hand gripping my arm, I prepare myself to kick, punch, or even bite whoever is trying to manhandle me. My eyes meet Adam’s, and I hate the way this brings me pause. Why don’t I just kick him in the balls and tell him off?
That’s what I should do; that’s what I would do if this were just a random guy, or a robber, or anything of the sort. But he’s Adam, and once upon a time, things were good between us. I want him to move on, and there’s a stupid side of myself that wants to give him a chance to do just that.
“Adam, let go of me!”
six
Grayson
Following Tyley's lead, I stop in my tracks as someone yanks her arm, and that's when I rush out the door.
