Fake Boyfriend, Real Midterms

I lied to save my dignity. I didn't expect the lie to come with terms and conditions.

When Amir Haddad gets cornered at Juniper & Co. by his smug ex, Dylan, and their shared friend group, humiliation hits like a spotlight-and Amir blurts the first lifeline he can grab: I'm seeing someone new.
The problem? He's not.
The bigger problem? The campus café's infamous flirt-barista overhears. . . and steps in.

Nico Alvarez offers Amir a deal that's equal parts protective and dangerously intimate: play the boyfriend in public, keep it honest in private, and follow consent-first rules that make boundaries feel like foreplay. No surprise touches. No pity. No kissing-unless absolutely necessary.

Their first staged "date" lands perfectly. Dylan seethes. The friend group stares. And Nico's effortless tenderness-steady hands, quiet check-ins, praise that rewrites old shame-makes Amir feel protected for the first time in months.

But fake dating has a way of turning into routine intimacy: late-night library corners, shared hoodies, study sessions that get too close, and a warmth Amir doesn't know how to trust. When a cruel bet surfaces-how long until Amir gets dumped again-Amir's old survival instinct kicks in: push first, leave first, don't get laughed at again.

Except Nico isn't a phase. He won't beg, won't manipulate, and won't let Amir rewrite their connection into nothing. He offers a choice: distance, or healing through truth.

With midterms closing in, Amir realizes winning doesn't matter nearly as much as the ache of missing Nico's voice-and the courage it takes to be chosen on purpose.

If you want a cozy campus romance packed with high-tension fake dating, consent-forward heat, and a green-flag love interest who makes safety feel sexy. . . this is your next one-click.

You'll love this if you like. . .

• Fake dating that turns into real, earned devotion
• A green-flag love interest with consent-first, check-in intimacy
• Cozy campus vibes: café warmth, late-night library tension, midterm chaos
• Emotional healing from humiliation and being treated like a "joke"
• Soft found family energy (friends, coworkers, quiet protectors)