# Chapter 12: Morning Cuddles, Coffee Interruptions, and the Games We Play
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing today? I’m so happy to be back with you for another chapter of *The Deal: Off Campus*. Today we’re stepping into Chapter 12, where Garrett wakes up tangled with Hannah, Hannah’s dignity hangs by a thread, Justin finally makes a move—or almost does—and a quiet confession from MJ changes everything at rehearsal. Buckle up, because this chapter is full of heat, humor, and the kind of emotional confusion that makes these two impossible to look away from.
We begin in Garrett’s head, in that hazy moment before full consciousness. He loves the weird fog of waking up, but this morning feels different. His body is warm. There’s a sweet scent—cherries, he realizes. Something soft tickles his chin. A head is nestled against his neck. A slender arm is draped over his stomach. A leg is hooked over his thigh. And a soft breast is pressed against his chest. It’s Hannah. They went to sleep on opposite sides of the bed, but somehow, in the night, they found each other. Garrett’s arms are wrapped around her, holding her close. His muscles are stiff, but he doesn’t let go. In fact, he thinks, *It’s nice*. And then immediately panics. Cuddling is for girlfriends. Garrett Graham doesn’t do girlfriends. But he still doesn’t release her. He breathes her in, feels the heat of her body, and just lies there listening to her breathe.
Then Hannah wakes up and ruins the peace with the most horrified question possible: “Is that a boner?” She shoots upright, then trips over her own leg and stumbles back down. Garrett, voice gravelly with sleep, tells her to relax. It’s just a morning chub. Biology. He’s not even turned on. Hannah accuses him of cuddling her in the middle of the night. Garrett claims he was asleep and maybe she crawled on top of him. She insists her subconscious knows better. Then she dives off the bed, and Garrett immediately feels the loss of her warmth. He’s cold and alone again.
Hannah looks at his bare chest with distaste and says she can’t believe her head was on “that thing” all night. Garrett points out that other women like his chest just fine. Hannah fires back, “I’m not other women.” And she’s right—she isn’t. Garrett suddenly wonders how he ever survived without her sarcastic barbs and annoyed grumbles. She orders him not to tell anyone about their accidental cuddle, because she refuses to be seen as one of his puck bunnies. Garrett is amused, especially because she’s using hockey lingo now. He warns her to get dressed fast, unless she wants his teammates to witness her walk of shame. They have practice in thirty minutes. Panic flashes in her eyes. They agree on the cover story: they studied, watched TV, she went home late. She even *Princess Bride*s him, and he teases her for using it as a verb. She marches into the bathroom and slams the door, ordering him to be ready to drive her home before his roommates wake up.
Then we switch to Hannah. She’s running on four hours of sleep and wants to die. At least no one saw Garrett drop her off, so her honor is technically intact. Her classes drag endlessly. She’s chugged three coffees, but caffeine has betrayed her. By late lunch, she’s hiding in a corner, sending out leave-me-alone vibes. Then she heads to the philosophy building early and runs into Justin. He’s leaning in the corridor, texting, looking devastatingly perfect in dark jeans and a black sweater. Hannah feels like a slob in yoga pants, a green hoodie, and red rain boots—especially since the forecasted rain never came. But Justin smiles and says he likes the boots. Not sarcasm. They remind him of Seattle, where he’s from and where he transferred from. Hannah’s heart races.
Then Justin asks why she disappeared from the Sigma party. He looked for her after pool, but she was already gone. Hannah says she left early for a nine a.m. class. Then Justin says he heard she left with Garrett Graham. Hannah is caught off guard. She shrugs it off—he gave her a ride home. Justin says he didn’t know they were friends. And Hannah, feeling bold, flirts: “There’s a lot you don’t know about me.” Justin smiles, that sexy dimple appearing, and says maybe they ought to change that. Hannah is stunned. He’s flirting back. Garrett’s hard-to-get theory actually seems to be working. Justin seems especially fixated on the fact that she left with Garrett. Then he starts to ask what she’s doing after class—and Garrett interrupts with a cheerful “Wellsy!” He’s holding two coffees and hands one to Hannah, saying he figured she’d need it. Justin’s expression flickers with displeasure. Garrett and Justin exchange a manly hand-slap greeting and some sports talk about wins and losses. Hannah, bored by sports, heads into the lecture hall.
Inside, her pulse is still racing. In less than a week, she’s had two conversations with Justin, and she’s almost sure he was about to ask her out before Garrett showed up. She sits next to Nell, who aced her chem test and promises to read Hannah’s midterm answers tonight. Then Garrett slides into the seat beside Hannah and asks for an extra pen. Nell’s eyebrows nearly hit the ceiling. Justin watches from across the aisle with an indecipherable expression. Hannah gives Garrett a pen and teases him for being unprepared. Garrett introduces himself to Nell as if they’re all old friends, and when Hannah whispers that they’re “kinda friends,” Garrett corrects her: they’re best friends. Nell giggles. Hannah sighs.
The lecture is heavy—individual conscience versus responsibility to society, using the Nazis as an example. Depressing. After class, Hannah wants to finish her conversation with Justin, but Garrett firmly takes her arm and steers her out the door. She protests that Justin was probably going to ask her out. Garrett tells her to ignore him. He insists she has piqued Justin’s interest, but if she wants to keep it, she needs to make him work for it. Men like a challenge. Hannah hates that he might be right. He tells her to play it cool until Maxwell’s party. Then he cancels their tutoring session tonight because he’s exhausted from their marathon study night. Instead, Hannah offers to email him a sample essay question, something Tolbert would come up with. He can write for two hours, and tomorrow they’ll go over it. Garrett agrees, ruffles her hair like she’s five, and saunters off. Hannah watches him go, noticing other women watching him too. She rolls her eyes and heads to rehearsal.
But rehearsal is a mess before it even starts. Cass isn’t there. MJ says he has a migraine, but Hannah knows he was out drinking last night. He’s hungover, not sick. MJ suggests they rehearse without him, and Hannah agrees it would be nice not to argue every five seconds. But she also knows whatever they do today, Cass will veto tomorrow. She confronts MJ about the choir idea, calling it bullshit. MJ admits she knows. Hannah asks why she didn’t back her up. MJ blushes and asks if Hannah can keep a secret. Cass asked her out. Hannah is shocked. MJ is sweet, but she’s the last person she’d expect Cass Donovan to date. Cass is gorgeous, image-obsessed, and superficial. Hannah quickly realizes Cass asked MJ out right before the choir rehearsal—so she’d support his ideas. Hannah swallows her anger and asks if MJ actually wants to go out with him. MJ nods. Hannah points out that Cass is a diva, but MJ defends him, saying he’s passionate and nice when he wants to be. Hannah thinks that’s a terrible endorsement. She asks if MJ is afraid that disagreeing with Cass will make him cancel the date. MJ winces, but admits it sounds pathetic. Hannah tells her this is her song and she shouldn’t censor herself. But she knows MJ isn’t that bold. Then a terrible thought hits Hannah: is their song about Cass? She’s disgusted. MJ says she doesn’t hate the choir idea, not exactly. And Hannah knows, with absolute certainty, that there will be a three-tiered choir standing behind Cass and her at the winter showcase.
This chapter is such a perfect blend of romantic tension and character growth. Garrett’s internal monologue is hilarious and surprisingly tender—he keeps insisting he doesn’t do girlfriends, yet he can’t let Hannah go, literally or emotionally. Hannah is caught between her growing chemistry with Garrett and her long-standing crush on Justin, and the jealousy simmering under Garrett’s teasing is impossible to miss. The MJ and Cass subplot adds a darker, manipulative layer, showing how people use relationships to get what they want. The humor keeps it light, but the emotional stakes are rising fast.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
Next Chapter Prediction: At Maxwell’s party, Hannah will try to play it cool with Justin, but Garrett’s presence will complicate everything. I predict Justin will make a real move—maybe asking Hannah out—and Garrett will be forced to confront his jealousy. Meanwhile, the tutoring session with the sample essay will bring Garrett and Hannah closer, revealing more of Garrett’s vulnerability and his fear of failing. The Cass and MJ situation will also blow up, especially if MJ finally stands up for herself—or if Cass keeps manipulating her. The winter showcase choir drama is definitely not over, and I think Hannah’s patience is about to snap.
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