# Chapter 15: The Rehearsal That Changes Everything
Hello, lovely readers! It’s me, your story guide, back again. Are you ready to step back into the electric, messy, slow-burn world of Garrett Graham and Hannah Wells? Today we’re diving into Chapter 15 of *The Deal: Off Campus*, where a simple study session becomes a battlefield of banter, vulnerability, and one dangerously teasing challenge: “Prove it.” So grab your favorite drink, get comfortable, and let’s walk through this chapter together.
Garrett makes absolutely sure he is home alone when Hannah comes over on Thursday night. After she accidentally walked in on him and Tiffany yesterday, he’s more amused than embarrassed. At least, he tells himself that. He knows it could have been worse—much worse—if Hannah had arrived a few minutes later and heard Tiffany’s dramatic moans. And honestly, those moans have been bothering him. Garrett prides himself on being attentive in bed, but last night felt off. Tiffany seemed to be putting on a show, exaggerating every sound and movement, and the whole experience left him strangely unsatisfied. He isn’t exactly rushing to repeat it.
Then Hannah arrives, and she doesn’t just knock once. She knocks at least ten more times, then two extra for good measure, even after Garrett yells for her to come in. When she finally opens the door, she stumbles inside with both palms pressed tightly over her eyes, asking loudly if it’s safe. Garrett calls her a brat, but there’s affection buried under his irritation. Hannah retorts that she’s simply being careful—God forbid she walk in on another one of his “sex fests.” Garrett, because he is Garrett, can’t resist making it worse. He informs her that they hadn’t even gotten to the sex part; they were still in foreplay. Second and third base, to be exact.
Hannah declares that gross and TMI. He says she asked. She insists she did not. And just like that, the familiar rhythm between them returns: sharp, playful, and charged with something neither of them is ready to name.
Hannah settles cross-legged on his bed and pulls out the class binder. She’s all business now—or at least she tries to be. She asks for his revised essay, and Garrett hands it over before leaning back against the pillows. As she reads, he watches her. When she finishes, she looks at him, and he can tell she’s impressed. “This is pretty good,” she admits. Pride blooms in Garrett’s chest. He worked hard on that paper, and Hannah’s praise means more than he expected. She then amends herself: “Actually, it’s really good.” Garrett mock-gasps and accuses her of giving him a compliment. Hannah immediately tries to take it back, saying it sucks, but it’s too late. He knows she thinks he’s smart.
Their conversation drifts into academics and athletes. Hannah admits something that might sound judgmental: she always assumed schools went easier on athletes, handing out free A’s because sports are so important. Garrett wishes that were true. He tells her about Eastwood players whose professors barely read their papers, but at Briar, the professors make athletes work for every grade. Hannah asks how he’s doing in his other courses. Garrett says he has A’s across the board and a pesky C in Spanish history, but that will change once he turns in his final paper. He smirks and asks if she still thinks he’s a dumb jock. Hannah says she never thought he was dumb—she thought he was a jackass. He pounces on the past tense, asking if she’s seen the error of her ways. She grins and says no, he’s still a jackass, but at least he’s a smart one.
Then the mood shifts. Garrett asks if he’s smart enough to ace the midterm. The makeup exam is tomorrow, and the stress is creeping back in. He isn’t sure he’s ready, but Hannah’s confidence soothes him. She tells him he’ll be fine as long as he keeps his own bias out of it and sticks to what the philosophers would do. Garrett says he better be, because he really needs this grade. Hannah’s voice softens. She asks if the team is that important to him. His answer is simple and absolute: “It’s my whole life.”
Hannah is startled. She tells him he’s putting a lot of pressure on himself. And that’s when Garrett cracks open a door he usually keeps locked. He tells her about real pressure. Pressure is being seven years old and forced onto a high-protein diet to promote growth. Pressure is being woken up at dawn six days a week to skate and run drills while your father blows a whistle in your face for two hours. Pressure is being told that if you fail, you’ll never be a real man. Hannah’s face goes stricken. Garrett tries to push the memories away, but they keep flashing through his mind, tightening his throat. He tells her that the pressure he puts on himself is nothing compared to what he grew up with.
Hannah narrows her eyes and points out that he told her he loves hockey. Garrett’s voice goes hoarse. He does love it. When he’s on the ice, it’s the only time he feels alive. He’s going to work his ass off to get where he wants to be, but he can’t fail. Hannah pushes him: what happens if he does? What’s his backup plan? Garrett frowns. He doesn’t have one. Hannah insists everyone needs a Plan B. What if he gets injured and can’t play anymore? Garrett guesses he’d be a coach, or maybe a sportscaster. Hannah points out that means he does have a plan. He concedes, then turns the question on her. What’s her Plan B if she doesn’t make it as a singer?
Hannah’s answer is more honest than he expects. Sometimes she doesn’t even know if she wants to be a singer. She loves music, but doing it professionally is a whole other story. She doesn’t love the idea of living out of a suitcase or spending all her time on a tour bus. She likes singing in front of an audience, but she isn’t sure she wants to be on stage in front of thousands of people every night. Sometimes she thinks she’d rather be a songwriter—working behind the scenes, composing music, letting someone else be the star. If that doesn’t work out, she could go into teaching. Then she gives a self-deprecating smile and jokes that if all else fails, she could always try stripping.
Garrett, of course, cannot let that slide. He sweeps his gaze up and down her body, makes a big show of licking his lips, and tells her she’s definitely got the tits for it. Hannah rolls her eyes and calls him a pervert. He insists he’s just stating a fact. Her tits are great. He doesn’t know why she doesn’t flaunt them more—maybe throw a few low-cut tops into her wardrobe rotation. A pink blush blooms in Hannah’s cheeks. Garrett loves how quickly she shifts from serious and sassy to shy and innocent.
He informs her she can’t do that on Saturday. She asks, mockingly, if he means strip. No, he says—blush like a tomato every time he makes a lewd comment. Hannah arches a brow and asks how many lewd comments he plans on making. He grins and says it depends on how much he has to drink. She lets out an exasperated breath, and a strand of dark hair escapes her ponytail and falls onto her forehead. Without thinking, Garrett reaches out and tucks it behind her ear.
The instant tension in her shoulders makes him frown. He tells her she can’t do that either—freeze up when he touches her. Alarm flits through Hannah’s eyes. She asks why he would touch her. He reminds her that he’s supposed to be her date. Has she met him? He’s a handsy guy. Hannah primly says he can keep his hands to himself on Saturday. Garrett says good plan—then Loverboy will think they’re just friends. Or enemies, depending on how jumpy she gets. Hannah bites her lip, and her visible agitation only makes him tease her harder. He adds that he might kiss her, too.
Now she glares at him. “No way.” Garrett asks if she wants Kohl to think she’s into him or not. If she does, she’ll need to at least try to act like it. Hannah smirks and says that’s going to be tough. Garrett accuses her of lying—she likes him lots. She snorts. He tells her frankly that he’s totally digging that snorting thing she does. It’s kind of a turn-on. Hannah grumbles for him to quit it. Kohl isn’t in the room right now. He can save the flirting for Saturday.
But Garrett says he’s trying to get her used to it. He pauses as if mulling something over, but really, he’s enjoying making her squirm. The more he thinks about it, the more he wonders if they should warm up. Hannah asks what the hell that means. Garrett explains that before a game, he doesn’t just show up at the rink and throw on his skates. He practices six days a week—ice time, weight room, game tapes, strategy meetings. Think of all the advance prep that goes into it. Hannah irritably says this isn’t a game; it’s a fake date. Garrett counters that it needs to look real for Loverboy. Hannah tells him to stop calling Kohl that. But Garrett has no plans to stop. He likes how angry it makes her. In fact, he likes pissing her off, period. Every time Hannah gets mad, her green eyes blaze and her cheeks turn the cutest shade of pink.
So he nods and says that if he’s going to be touching and kissing her on Saturday, he thinks it’s imperative that they rehearse. Thoroughly. He licks his lips again. Hannah says she honestly can’t decide if he’s messing with her right now. Either way, she’s not letting him touch or kiss her, so he should wipe all those dirty ideas out of his head. If he wants action, he should call Tiffany. Garrett says that’s not going to happen. Hannah’s tone has a bite when she asks why not—he seemed pretty into Tiffany last night. Garrett says it was a one-time hookup and tells her to stop trying to change the subject. Then he grins and asks why she doesn’t want to kiss him. He narrows his eyes and says there’s only one explanation he can think of. He pauses. “You’re a bad kisser.”
Hannah’s jaw drops in outrage. She most certainly is not. Garrett lowers his voice to a seductive pitch and delivers the line that hangs in the air like a challenge: “Prove it.”
And there the chapter ends—with Hannah outraged, Garrett smug, and the fake date suddenly feeling a lot less fake.
## Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is an absolute delight. It balances humor, heat, and heartbreak so well. Garrett’s teasing is infuriating and charming in equal measure, but the real gold is the glimpse into his childhood. The pressure he grew up under explains so much about his drive, his fear of failure, and why hockey isn’t just a sport to him—it’s survival. Hannah meets him with honesty and pushback, and their dynamic feels real because they challenge each other. The “Prove it” ending is a perfect cliffhanger: playful, tense, and loaded with promise.
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Next chapter will almost certainly pick up right after “Prove it.” Hannah may try to shut Garrett down, but the tension is too strong to ignore. I predict a rehearsal kiss that starts as a joke and quickly becomes something neither of them can dismiss. Garrett will use the fake date with Kohl as an excuse to get closer, while Hannah will struggle to keep her walls up. We may also see the midterm result, which could either relieve Garrett’s stress or add new pressure. Either way, the line between pretend and real is about to blur—and once they cross it, there’s no going back.
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