*Josh's POV*
I'm not a bad person, I swear. But I had to do this.
I liked Luna for years. Everyone knew it. Hell, I thought she knew it too, but if she did, she never let it show. I was always just... there. I was just the guy she'd talk to when she needed something, the one she'd call when she wanted a favor, but never the one she actually saw.
She was dazzling, effortlessly confident, charming, and completely out of my league. And yet, I followed her around like a lovesick puppy, hoping that one day, she'd look at me the way I looked at her.
That was until we entered law school. Suddenly, she started noticing me more. At first, I thought it was just a prank, but then it kept happening. She'd smile at me more, ask about my day, laugh at my dumb jokes. It felt like I finally had a chance.
The problem? There was always a pattern. Every conversation somehow led back to Ashley, her best friend, the person she worshiped like a goddess. Every decision Luna made was about Ashley's happiness.
Even now, as we sat together at a coffee shop, her head tilted toward me in what I thought was finally an intimate moment, she was talking about Ashley.
"Ashley deserves the best, Josh. She's been through so much."
I nod, as if I hadn't heard that a million times before. And then, our conversation took a different turn.
"You know who I can't stand?" Luna huffed, rolling her eyes. "Samantha Pearson. That new girl. She pisses me off."
I barely knew Sam. She was my classmate, but we ran in different circles. "Why?" I asked, genuinely curious.
Luna scoffed. "She's getting too close to Nate. She's just throwing herself at him like some pathetic little slut."
The word made me flinch. "Sam?" I frowned. "She's in my class. She doesn't seem like that kind of girl."
Luna scoffed. "Of course, you'd say that. You probably think she's nice, don't you?"
"Well... yeah. She's always been kind."
Luna rolled her eyes. "She's a threat to Ashley's happiness, Josh. And if you really care about me, you'd see that too."
There it was. That pull. That test. My loyalty to her.
I sighed, rubbing the back of my neck. "I don't think there's something we could do about that."
Just after I said that, Luna's face lit up, as if a genius idea had slipped into her mind.
She leaned in then, a smirk curling on her lips. "If you really want to be my boyfriend, Josh, I have one last challenge for you."
My heart pounded in my chest. Luna had never talked about us that way before. She had never given me any real hope. But now, it felt like she was dangling something real in front of me, just close enough for me to grasp.
"Anything," I said without hesitation. "I've been waiting for years."
Her eyes gleamed. "Make Sam fall in love with you. Then break her heart."
I felt my stomach drop. "What?"
"You heard me," she said, voice smooth and fearless. "She doesn't deserve to be happy. She needs to be put in her place."
I hesitated. "Luna... that's a bit—"
"Is that a problem?" Her eyes darkened. "Because if it is, then forget it. Forget about us. Forget about me."
That scared me. The thought of losing however small of a chance I had with Luna was enough to make me swallow my hesitation.
I sighed deeply. Sam hadn't done anything wrong. She didn't deserve this. But Luna was finally looking at me, really looking at me, and if this was the price...
I nodded. "Okay. I'll do it."
Weeks passed, and I played my part. At first, I had no idea how to even approach Sam. She seemed... quiet. Reserved. Even though we were classmates, we had never really talked. She had her own circle, and I had mine.
But then, I saw my opportunity.
The after-party at Austin's house.
I witnessed it all. Nate and Sam fighting. Their voices were low, but the tension between them was obvious. Then, Nate walked away, leaving Sam standing there, her expression crumbling, tears streaming down her face. I knew that look... she was heartbroken.
She was vulnerable, and I was there at just the right time.
This challenge seemed almost too easy.
I approached her, putting on the charm that I knew worked on most girls. And it worked. She smiled, even laughed a little.
That night, I texted Luna about what happened, and she responded immediately.
Josh: Talked to Sam. She's starting to trust me.
Luna: Good job! ;) Keep going <3
I should've felt victorious. But instead, I felt... off.
It got worse over time. I kept running into Sam. Sometimes by accident, sometimes not. Like that time at the convenience store. She was alone, grabbing some snacks, and I took the opportunity. I even made her laugh a few times and offered to pay for her snacks and added a few extras. It was a small gesture, but she seemed genuinely surprised.
And for some reason, that made me feel good.
The more I spent time with Sam, the more I got to know her, the more I realized something... she's actually very kind.
She wasn't loud or attention-seeking like Luna. She was quiet, but not in a way that made her invisible. She was thoughtful. Smart. A little stubborn. And she had this smile. God, that smile. It could make my day instantly better.
Every time I did something nice for her, I started to realize that it wasn't because of the challenge anymore. Heck, it wasn't even for Luna anymore. It was because I liked seeing her happy.
And I hated the way Nate looked at her. Hated the way she looked at him.
---------------------------
Months later, I was driving Luna to school when she dropped a bombshell.
"Ash and Nate broke up," she said, staring at her nails like the news was casual.
I nearly slammed on the brakes. "Wait, what? When?"
"Yeah. It's not public knowledge yet, but yeah it's over. Ash just told me last Friday, but apparently, they already broke up months ago. They still stayed friends, though."
I felt a strange sense of relief, followed immediately by guilt. I shouldn't care. But then, if Nate and Ashley were over, then what was the point of this game?
I hesitated before asking, "So... do I still need to do this thing with Sam? I mean, if Nate and Ashley aren't together anymore, does it even matter?"
Luna turned to me, frowning. "Of course, it still matters. I still don't like her. So keep going."
I exhaled slowly, guilt twisting in my gut, but I didn't argue. I knew better than to push Luna when she was set on something.
As we arrived at school, she stopped me before I could walk in with her.
"Wait at the gate for Sam," she instructed. "Ask her to dinner. The restaurant by the beach."
When Sam arrived, I greeted her cheerfully, but I felt her stiffen as we walked past Nate. I saw the way his jaw clenched, how his eyes darkened when he saw me walking with her.
Is he actually jealous? Oh shit, I have to test this.
I ruffled Sam's hair and put my arm around her shoulders.
"Smile," I whispered to Sam.
She gave me a confused look, but I insisted.
She did.
And when I turned to see Nate's reaction, I saw it... rage. He looked like he wanted to kill me.
Interesting.
Maybe he did like Sam. Maybe he was jealous.
But why did I care?
Which brought me to the moment Luna gave me my next command: invite Sam to dinner.
Luna told me that Nate and his friends would be at the restaurant by the beach tonight, and I had to convince Sam to go to dinner with me there.
I told myself it was part of the plan, that I was still doing what Luna wanted. But deep down, I knew the truth: I just wanted to spend time with her.
That night at dinner, we were having a good time until Nate and his friends walked into the restaurant. Sam's expression changed instantly. She tried to act unaffected, but I saw it. The sadness. The longing.
It made me angry. Why did she keep hurting over him? Why couldn't she see that she deserved better? I hated how he could change her entire demeanor with just his presence.
Then she left for the restroom.
When she returned, her face was different. She was trying too hard not to cry.
That was the final straw.
"Let's finish up and get the hell out of here," I said quickly.
She nodded, grateful.
As I drove, she finally broke down.
"I'm so stupid," she choked out. "Why do I keep crying over him?"
Something snapped inside me.
"You're not stupid, Sam," I said firmly.
She sniffled, hugging her knees up to her chest.
She may not realize it yet, or maybe she just didn't want to admit it, but I can tell she loves him. And that thought made me uncomfortable for some reason.
I gripped the steering wheel tighter. "Instead of wondering if you meant something to him, ask yourself this... do you still want to be stuck in the past, or do you want to start living for yourself?"
She looked at me, eyes glassy with unshed tears.
I glanced at her and continued, "Because from where I'm sitting, it looks like you're giving him too much power over you. And I don't think he deserves that."
I meant it. Every word.
You start by realizing you deserve better, I wanted to say but I couldn't bring myself to.
She turned to me, and for a moment, I forgot everything—the challenge, Luna, all of it. I just saw Sam.
I didn't know when it started, but somewhere along the way, I had stopped thinking about Luna. Stopped caring about what she wanted.
Because suddenly, all I cared about was Sam.
I dropped her off at her house, watching as she wiped the last of her tears away and forced a small smile.
"Thanks for dinner," she said softly. "And for... you know, everything."
"Anytime," I said, trying to ignore the warmth in my chest as she smiled.
Then I drove away, my chest aching in a way I didn't understand.
Later that night, Luna called.
"So? How did it go?" she asked, her voice laced with excitement.
I hesitated before answering. "Fine. She cried. I comforted her."
Luna chuckled. "Good. She's falling for it. You did great, Josh. Soon, she'll get more heartache than she deserves."
Something in me snapped at that. I didn't respond.
"Josh?" she spoke. "You still there?"
"Yeah." My voice felt foreign to me.
"Good. Because we're not done yet."
A lump formed in my throat. "Luna... when does this end?"
She scoffed. "Don't be such a baby. Just do it. Unless you want to lose your chance with me?"
I didn't respond, and the call ended.
That night, as I lay in bed, all I could think about was Sam.
Her laugh.
Her tears.
Her kindness.
I had spent years chasing Luna, desperate for her love. But for the first time, I wasn't sure if she was what I wanted anymore.
Because Sam was real, the way she lit up when she talked about something she loved, the way she cried when she thought no one was looking.
Oh how I hated seeing her cry. And somehow I wanted to be the reason she never cried again.
And that's when I realized the truth: I didn't want to hurt her.
But I couldn't back out from this fucking game, either. I knew Luna well enough. If she didn't get her way, she'd do something reckless. Maybe even tell Sam the truth herself.
I can't let that happen. Sam will despise me if she found out, and I wouldn't be able to live with that.
I had to keep playing along.
Not for Luna.
But to protect Sam.
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