My Deskmate A Movie King Faked Cancer For Cash Chapter 09

My Deskmate A Movie King Faked Cancer For Cash Chapter 09

Five years ago, at our high school prom.

Halfway through the final slow dance in the gym, the power suddenly cut out with a sharp pop, plunging the entire room into pitch blackness.

Screams, laughter, and wild cheering echoed through the dark as kids started waving their phone flashlights, beams of light crisscrossing the ceiling.

I was standing in the corner when I felt a gentle tap on the back of my hand.

A warm breath brushed against my ear, and a teenage boy’s voice whispered, low and teasing, meant only for me.

“Hazel, would you give me a chance?”

My face burned in the dark, my heart beating so loudly it drowned out the chaos around us.

In that moment, the rest of the world faded, leaving only the warmth of his breath against my skin.

But then I remembered his mother cutting off his credit cards because she hated the idea of him acting.

I remembered the indie film role he had landed, requiring him to move out of state right after graduation.

—

I thought about the massive gulf between us—our families, our futures, the paths we were meant to take. Every single sign screamed that we didn’t belong together.

Swallowing the rush of joy in my chest, I asked, “Julian, how long can you wait?”

Until I can stand on my own two feet. Until I’m strong enough to stand beside you.

I didn’t dare gamble on how long a teenage crush could last, no matter how intense it felt in the moment.

Julian went quiet for a beat.

I couldn’t see his expression in the dark, but I felt the slight hitch in his breathing before his usual lazy tone returned.

“That’s up to you, Hazel. How long do you want me to wait?”

My hands balled into fists, my nails digging hard into my palms. “Five years.”

A soft laugh echoed from the boy in the dark. “Deal.”

I thought that was the end of it.

Most teenage promises ended that way—one saying “wait for me,” the other saying “okay,” before they drifted to opposite ends of the country and slowly faded from each other’s lives.

But some people actually took foolish teenage pacts seriously.

—

The truth was, before he pulled the main breaker that night, I had spotted him backstage.

He was pacing back and forth, practicing those exact words over and over, his palms slick with sweat.

I had turned around and walked away, pretending I hadn’t seen a thing.

He probably never knew.