Kat’s POV
Three days into our fake relationship, I was starting to understand what I’d been missing at my previous school.
The difference in how people treated me was remarkable—where before I’d been the scandal-ridden transfer student to be avoided, now I was Nate Carter’s girlfriend, automatically granted entry into the most exclusive social circles at Ridgeview.
“This is actually kind of addictive,” I admitted to Nate as we walked across the quad together, his hand warm in mine. “The way people look at us now.”
“You mean like we actually matter?” he said with a grin. “Yeah, I’ve noticed the difference too. Even the teachers are treating you differently.”
He was right. Professor Colton had actually smiled at me during Advanced Literature yesterday, and I’d been invited to join a study group for AP Physics—something that never would have happened when I was eating lunch alone.
“I got asked to three different parties this weekend,” I said, still amazed by the sudden shift in my social status. “Three!”
“Actually,” Nate said, his eyes lighting up with excitement, “forget those parties. I have something much better in mind.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Better than three parties?”
“Way better.” He stopped walking and turned to face me, his hands gripping mine. “You remember Marcus and Jessica from lunch? And Tyler and Jake?”
“Of course.”
“They’re going to Marcus’s family lake house near Ontario this weekend. It’s their beginning-of-semester tradition—big group trip, lots of people, total blast.”
His smile grew wider. “They asked me to invite you too.”
My heart did a little flip. “They want me there?”
“The whole crew’s going. Hockey team, soccer team, even some people from the figure skating team. And get this—the lake usually freezes early up there, so you can bring your skates if you want.”
“Really?” The idea of skating on a frozen lake, surrounded by mountains, sounded like something out of a dream.
“Really. What do you say? Want to spend the weekend at a lake house with your fake boyfriend?”
I grinned. “When you put it like that, how can I refuse?”
* * *
Friday evening arrived faster than I’d expected.
The drive to the lake house was filled with laughter and music, our group of seventeen crammed into various cars. When we finally arrived at the sprawling log cabin nestled against the mountainside, I couldn’t help but gasp.
“This is incredible,” I breathed, taking in the massive deck that overlooked the lake, the towering pines, the way the setting sun painted everything golden.
“Wait until you see the inside,” Jessica said, grabbing my arm. “Marcus’s parents basically built a resort up here.”
The inside was even more impressive—stone fireplaces, leather furniture, a kitchen that could feed an army. But as everyone began claiming rooms and unpacking, reality hit me like a slap.
“So we’re in the blue room,” Nate said casually, shouldering both our bags. “Second door on the right.”
I followed him down the hallway, my stomach churning with sudden nerves.
When he opened the door, my fears were confirmed—one king-sized bed dominated the room, flanked by large windows that offered a perfect view of the lake.
“One bed,” I said, my voice coming out smaller than I’d intended.
“One bed,” Nate confirmed, setting our bags down.
He turned to look at me, and whatever he saw in my expression made him grin.
“Oh, come on. Don’t tell me you’re nervous about sharing a bed with your boyfriend.”
“I’m not nervous,” I said quickly, then immediately contradicted myself. “I mean, I am, but not because… It’s just that we’re not actually—”
“Katya.” Nate stepped closer, his voice gentle but teasing. “Relax. I’m not going to attack you in your sleep. I’ll stay on my side, you stay on yours. Easy.”
“But what if someone comes in? What if they expect us to—”
“They won’t,” he said firmly. “And if they do, we’ll deal with it. Trust me, everything’s going to be fine.”
His confidence was reassuring, but as night fell and we prepared for bed, my nerves returned with a vengeance.
I changed in the bathroom, taking longer than necessary to brush my teeth and wash my face, trying to calm my racing heart.
When I finally emerged in my pajamas, Nate was already in bed, scrolling through his phone.
He’d changed into just boxer shorts, and I tried not to stare at his bare chest, the defined muscles of his shoulders, the way the lamplight played across his soft skin…
“You okay?” he asked, patting the empty side of the bed.
“Fine,” I managed, sliding under the covers and immediately scooting as far to my side as possible without falling off.
“Goodnight, Kat,” he said softly, reaching over to turn off the lamp.
“Goodnight,” I whispered back.
But sleep wouldn’t come for a long time.
I lay there in the darkness, hyperaware of every sound he made, every shift of his body, the warmth radiating from his side of the bed.
The memory of his bare chest kept flashing through my mind, and I squeezed my thighs and eyes shut, trying to force myself to think about something else.
Anything else but Nates Carter’s freakingly hot body.
The next morning dawned crisp and clear, the lake surface frozen solid and sparkling in the sunlight. By the time I’d managed to drag myself out of bed—having finally fallen asleep around three AM—the house was already buzzing with activity.
“Perfect skating weather,” Marcus announced as we gathered for breakfast. “The ice is thick enough.”
I felt a thrill of excitement as I looked out at the pristine surface, imagining the feeling of gliding across it with mountains as my backdrop.
“You brought your skates, right?” Jessica asked, nudging me with her elbow.
“Of course she did,” Nate said, appearing at my side with a cup of coffee. “My girlfriend doesn’t go anywhere without her skates.”
The casual way he said ‘my girlfriend’ sent a heated flutter through my chest, but I pushed it aside.
This was all part of the act. The performance.
The day unfolded like something out of a movie. We spent hours on the lake—some of us skating, others playing impromptu hockey with borrowed equipment.
I felt truly happy for the first time in months, laughing with new friends, showing off jumps and spins that earned impressed cheers from the crowd.
Nate stayed close, his hand finding mine whenever we weren’t actively skating, his arm around my waist as we watched the hockey game. Everything felt natural, comfortable, right.
Everything except the weight of Liam’s stare.
He’d come on the trip too, of course. I’d seen him arrive with the second group of cars, had watched him claim a room on the opposite end of the hall.
But throughout the day, I could feel his eyes on me. On us.
On the way Nate’s fingers intertwined with mine, the way we leaned into each other, the easy intimacy of our fake relationship.
It made my skin burn in ways I didn’t want to examine.
Late in the afternoon, as the sun began to set, I joined the figure skating team for one last session on the lake. We spread out across the ice, practicing jumps and spins, lost in the pure joy of movement.
That’s when I heard it—a sharp crack that echoed across the water like a gunshot.
“Everyone off the ice!” Marcus shouted from the shore. “Now!”
Panic exploded through the group as we all scrambled toward the shore. The ice was giving way, spider web cracks spreading across the surface with terrifying speed.
I was the farthest out, near the center of the lake, and I could hear the ice groaning beneath my feet as I raced toward safety.
Almost there. Almost—
The world exploded into freezing water as the ice gave way beneath me. The shock stole my breath, the cold hitting my body like a physical blow. I flailed, trying to find purchase on the crumbling ice edge, but my waterlogged clothes were dragging me down.
“Kat!” Nate’s voice, distant and panicked.
Then suddenly, strong arms were hauling me up, pulling me from the water onto more solid ice. I gasped, choking on lake water, my entire body shaking from cold and shock.
“Got you,” a familiar voice said, rough with exertion. “You’re okay. I got you.”
I looked up through chattering teeth to see Liam’s face above me as his arms remained locked around my trembling body. His hair was wet—he’d gotten in the water to reach me.
His green eyes fierce with concern and something else. More softer than I’ve ever seen.
“True Ice Princess now, huh,” he said, but his voice was gentle, almost tender.
Then Nate was there, pulling me from Liam’s arms into his own. “I’ve got her,” he said, his voice tight with something I couldn’t identify. “I’ve got you, baby.”
He lifted me easily, carrying me toward the house as I shivered against his chest.
But as we reached the shore, I found myself looking back over his shoulder at Liam, who was still standing at the water’s edge, watching us with an expression I couldn’t read.
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