Chapter 2

The university tailgate party was a sea of team colors, loud music, and the smell of grilled food.

Michael was there, front and center, with Tiffany plastered to his side.

They were laughing, his arm slung possessively around her shoulders, her hand resting high on his chest.

Sarah watched them from across the lawn, standing next to Alex – or "Liam," as she had to remember to call him.

"Are you okay?" Alex asked, his voice low, noticing her gaze.

"Just... a little overwhelmed," Sarah said, feigning disorientation. "So many people."

It wasn't the people. It was Michael, so blatant, so quick to move on.

It was a raw, public display of his betrayal.

Tiffany caught her eye and gave a small, triumphant smirk before turning back to whisper something in Michael's ear, making him roar with laughter.

A few people from their wider social circle drifted over.

"Liam! Sarah! So glad you guys could make it," one of Michael's fraternity brothers said, a little too loudly. "Heard you had a bit of a scare, Sarah. You doing alright?"

"She's getting there," Alex said smoothly, putting a light hand on Sarah's arm. "Just taking it easy."

The guy winked. "Well, Liam here will take good care of you. Always does."

The words were innocent, but Sarah felt the undercurrent. Everyone knew Michael and Sarah had been a couple. This new "Liam" development, coupled with Michael's very public display with Tiffany, was prime gossip.

Later, someone started a party game – spin the bottle, college style, with dares instead of just kisses.

The bottle spun, and inevitably, it landed on Sarah.

A girl from Tiffany' s sorority, one of her closest friends, smirked. "Okay, Sarah. Truth or Dare?"

"Dare," Sarah said, her voice surprisingly steady.

"I dare you," the girl said, her eyes flicking towards Michael and Tiffany, "to give your boyfriend, Liam, the most passionate kiss this party has ever seen."

A hush fell over their immediate circle.

Michael' s smile tightened. Tiffany looked intrigued, a malicious glint in her eyes.

Sarah felt Alex tense beside her.

This was it. A challenge. A public test.

She could demur, feign confusion, play the amnesiac.

Or she could play their game, but by her rules.

She turned to Alex. His eyes were questioning, a hint of worry in them.

"Well, Liam?" she said, a small, almost shy smile on her face. "You ready?"

Before he could answer, she leaned in, cupped his face in her hands, and kissed him.

It wasn't shy. It wasn't hesitant.

It was a full, deliberate, passionate kiss. She poured all her shock, her anger at Michael, her resolve into it.

For a moment, Alex was stiff with surprise, then he responded, his arms coming around her, pulling her closer.

The crowd around them erupted in whoops and cheers.

When she finally pulled away, breathless, her eyes met Michael's over Alex's shoulder.

His face was a mask of stunned disbelief, his jaw tight. Tiffany looked less amused now, more annoyed.

Sarah gave a small, innocent shrug, as if to say, "Dare's a dare."

Alex looked down at her, his own expression a mixture of shock and something else she couldn't quite decipher. Relief?

"Wow," someone said. "Guess the amnesia didn't affect everything."

Laughter. Uncomfortable laughter from some.

Later, Sarah saw Michael pull Alex aside, near the edge of the party.

She drifted closer, pretending to look for a drink, staying just out of direct sight but within earshot.

"...the hell was that, Alex?" Michael hissed, his voice low and furious. "A passionate kiss? I told you to keep her occupied, not to actually get involved! What part of 'she's my girlfriend, you're just the placeholder' did you not understand?"

Sarah's stomach churned. My girlfriend. He still thought of her as his, even as he paraded Tiffany around.

"It was a dare, Michael," Alex said, his voice calm, almost detached. "What was I supposed to do? Push her away in front of everyone? That would look great for your story, wouldn't it?"

"You were supposed to handle it!" Michael snapped. "You were supposed to make it look like you're a devoted boyfriend, not actually audition for the role! You know I still care about her, deep down. This whole thing is just... temporary."

Sarah almost scoffed. He cared? This was his idea of caring?

"And you better remember," Michael' s voice dropped to a menacing whisper, "what I told you. She's off-limits. You always found her boring anyway, remember? Don't forget your lines, 'Liam'."

Alex didn't reply immediately.

When he did, his voice was still quiet, but with an edge Sarah hadn't heard before. "I remember everything you said, Michael."

Sarah slipped away, her mind reeling.

Michael' s hypocrisy was astounding. His possessiveness, even as he was with Tiffany, was infuriating.

And Alex… Alex was an enigma. He'd played his part in the kiss, but his response to Michael was more complex. He wasn't just a passive pawn.

He was navigating this deception too.

The question was, for whose benefit?