In the picturesque town of Winter Grove, broken-hearted college student Celeste has to team up with lone wolf Sterling for a fake relationship in hopes of making her ex-boyfriend jealous and saving her Christmas.
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Overachieving college student Ce...
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Sterling
As Sterling approached Celeste and her ex, he caught snippets of their conversation.
"Who was that guy?" the guy demanded. He got closer and closer to Celeste while she shrank back. "I haven't seen him before. Was he just some stranger, or were you...?"
Celeste straightened up, her green eyes blazing. "Excuse me? What does it matter to you? You're the one who asked for this stupid 'break,' Jared!" She hooked her fingers around the word.
The guy, Jared, scoffed. "Well, I didn't think you'd move on so quickly—"
That was it—Sterling's limit. He didn't tolerate people talking to women like that. He strode forward and came up behind the both of them, looming over Jared.
"What's going on here?" he asked, his voice low and dangerous.
Jared spun around, and his eyes practically bugged out of his head when he saw Sterling standing there. Bartending wasn't the only work Sterling picked up—he'd also moonlighted as a bouncer from time to time. He knew how to intimidate.
"You've got to be kidding me," Jared muttered, his eyes darting between Sterling and Celeste. "What is he doing here?"
Sterling stepped in between him and Celeste, shielding her with his body.
"Jared, just forget it," Celeste muttered from behind him. She was back to folding in on herself. She had gone pink again and was shielding her face like she was reliving their encounter from last night.
"What is he to you, Cee?"
"Please, just—"
"Jared?"
Sterling turned towards the new voice and found the little blonde from last night standing at the edge of the diner counter. She was eyeing the three of them with raised eyebrows, but as soon she made sense of the scene—glancing between Celeste and Jared—she grinned.
This girl was trouble.
"There you are," she said, her voice going sing-song. "The group is sitting over here, Jarey."
Jarey? Sterling wanted to gag.
When Jared didn't make a move, the girl just giggled, reached out, and grabbed his hand—
Next to him, Celeste bristled at the sight of it. Her eyes got that strange hardness he'd seen last night, right before she...
Wait. Oh no... Not this again.
Celeste grabbed hold of his arm and nestled in close like she was his girlfriend or something. Sterling wanted to shake her off—he did not want to get involved in this any more than he already was—but that would've been mean, especially in front of her ex and his new girlfriend.
