# Chapter 17: The Party, the Plan, and the Kiss That Wasn’t Supposed to Matter
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you through Chapter 17 of "The Deal: Off Campus." Grab a cozy seat, because this chapter is a delicious mess of jealousy, denial, and one very dangerous red sweater. We are heading to a party, and nothing—absolutely nothing—is as casual as it seems.
The chapter opens in Hannah’s head, and she is already in trouble with herself. She is sitting on the edge of her bed, zipping up a boot, while Allie stares at her like she just announced she is eloping with a rock star. “You lost a bet,” Allie says, dubious. “And now you’re going out with him.” Him, of course, being Garrett Graham. Hannah keeps her eyes down and mutters her way through the explanation, but Allie is not buying it. She calls shenanigans, and honestly, she should. A date with Garrett Graham? That is not a normal Tuesday night. Hannah knows her excuse is feeble. She also knows the real reason: Justin. She wants a chance to see Justin Kohl outside of class, and Garrett is her ticket in.
But there is a bigger problem than Allie’s suspicion. Hannah has not seen Garrett since the kiss. The big mistake. The one she keeps pretending never happened. She remembers it anyway—his groan, her whimper, the way his lips found the sensitive spot on her neck. She tells herself none of it happened. Except if it truly did not happen, then she has no reason to bail on the party. So she clings to that logic and ignores the way her body remembers everything.
Allie asks if she has a thing for Garrett. Hannah denies it immediately. But the sarcastic voice in her head will not shut up. It reminds her that she did feel something when they kissed. The tingles were not the same as the ones Justin gives her. These were wilder. The butterflies did not just float—they raced through her whole body and made every inch pulse. Still, Hannah insists it meant nothing. Garrett went from stranger to nuisance to friend, and that is as far as she is willing to take it. She does not want to date him, no matter how good a kisser he is.
Then Garrett texts that he is here. A second later, he knocks. Allie lets him in, and soon Garrett appears in Hannah’s doorway wearing dark jeans and a black sweater. And, oh no, her heart does a stupid little dolphin flip. Excitement. For Garrett. She is horrified by herself. Garrett looks at her outfit and raises an eyebrow. “Is that what you’re wearing?” Hannah bristles, but Garrett is already judging her loose blue-and-white striped sweater. He says it is too baggy, then makes a crude comment about showing off her chest. Allie coughs in shock, but then—traitor—she agrees with him. Garrett starts flipping through Hannah’s closet like he owns it. He picks out a sheer black top, then a red sweater with a deep V-neck. “This one,” he says. “You look great in red.”
Hannah’s chest goes warm and gooey. He has noticed what she wears. He thinks she looks great in red. She hates how much she likes that. She changes, listens to Allie and Garrett chatting in the other room, and shivers when she hears his husky laugh. Then she gives herself a stern talking-to. Justin. Justin frickin’ Kohl. That is who she wants. She cannot keep getting distracted by Garrett and the strange heat he unleashes inside her. She needs to get her head on straight.
Then we shift into Garrett’s point of view, and the party begins. Beau Maxwell’s house is packed like a hockey arena on game night. Music blasts, bodies press close, and the air smells like alcohol, sweat, and cologne. Garrett is very pleased with himself for convincing Hannah to wear the red top, because she looks incredible. The material clings to every curve, and her chest looks like it is trying to make a public appearance. People keep staring at her, and Hannah fidgets. Garrett notices the deer-in-the-headlights look and softens. He takes her hand and whispers, “Relax.” Big mistake. She smells like cherry and lavender, and he has to fight the urge to bury his nose in her neck and taste her skin.
Garrett cannot stop thinking about the kiss. Every memory makes his pulse race. But it also stings, because he thinks he was the only one affected. After all, Hannah kissed Dean right after. Dean, one of his best friends. Yet tonight she is Garrett’s date, and they are here to make another guy jealous. Why shouldn’t he give in to temptation? So he kisses the side of her throat, then the corner of her jaw, whispering that she will be the center of attention tonight. Hannah sucks in a breath, and Garrett thinks he sees heat in her eyes.
They run into Ollie, then head to the kitchen. Garrett pours beers, but Hannah refuses one. He teases her, calls her a prude, and she says she does not mind. Then he says, “A prude doesn’t kiss the way you do.” Hannah blushes, and Garrett immediately regrets it, because now he is hard. She accuses him of saying things just to make her blush. He says he is just being honest. Then he asks why she is so anti-drinking at parties. Hannah hesitates, then admits the truth: a friend of hers was drugged at a high school party. Someone slipped her GHB. It was not a good night. Ever since, Hannah has been paranoid about what might be in her cup. She refuses to take the chance.
Garrett is horrified. He promises he would never let that happen to her. She says she knows, but she does not sound fully convinced, and he cannot be offended because her fear makes painful sense. He stops pushing her to drink. They go back to the main room, and Hannah scans the crowd. Garrett stiffens, knowing she is looking for Justin. Luckily, Justin is not there yet. They mingle. People are surprised to see Garrett with Hannah. Guys ogle her chest and wink at him. Garrett officially regrets the red top. The possessive caveman in him does not like other men looking at her.
Then they meet Beau Maxwell, the star quarterback. Beau is friendly, not a douchebag, and he recognizes Hannah from a spring showcase. He heard her sing “Stand By Me.” Hannah is surprised and pleased. Beau’s sister is Joanna Maxwell, who just landed a Broadway role. Hannah is impressed. Garrett watches the room and notices Justin Kohl has just entered. Their eyes meet. Garrett nods, then deliberately kisses Hannah’s cheek. He says he is going to get another beer, but really he is intercepting Justin. Justin brushes past him and heads straight for Hannah. Garrett’s back snaps straight. He wants to yank her away, or kiss her senseless. He does neither.
Instead, Kendall appears. She is dressed to kill and furious. She confronts Garrett about being on a date when he said he did not want a girlfriend. Garrett tries to keep his voice down. He says Hannah is not his girlfriend, that it is a date but not serious. Kendall is hurt. Then Garrett asks her the question that has been bothering him: why is she into him? She does not even know him. She has never asked about his childhood, his family, his classes, his interests. She does not even know his favorite color. Kendall guesses blue. Then Hannah appears and says, “Actually, it’s black.” She saves Garrett, claims thirst calls, and drags him into the hallway.
Garrett thanks her. Hannah says Kendall probably wanted to kick him in the balls, and it would have been deserved. He admits the breakup was not as amicable as he thought. Then he asks how she knew his favorite color. She points out every shirt he owns is black. He tries to deny it, then admits she is right. They discuss whether they have to hide all night. Garrett suggests leaving. He reminds Hannah that Justin took the bait. If they leave now, Justin will want more. Hannah hesitates. She admits she was enjoying talking to Justin. That feels like a knife in Garrett’s heart. He asks what they talked about. Hannah says class, football, the showcase. Then she drops the bomb: Justin asked her to get coffee and study for Ethics together.
Garrett explodes. “He’s macking on my date right in front of me?” Hannah reminds him they are not actually together. Garrett says Justin does not know that, and you do not hit on another man’s date. It is a dick move. Hannah admits it is shady, but says coffee and studying could be a friend thing. Garrett knows better. Then Hannah asks him something that catches him off guard: “You know that kiss didn’t mean anything, right?” He says of course. She presses: “Because we’re just friends... right?” He nods and says right. Relief floods her eyes. She says they should go, but first say bye to Beau. As she chatters, Garrett does not hear a word. He is too busy dealing with the truth bomb in his head.
Yes, Hannah and Garrett are friends. She is the only female friend he has ever had. And yes, he wants to keep being her friend. But he also wants to sleep with her.
And that, dear readers, is where Chapter 17 leaves us—caught between friendship, jealousy, and a want that neither of them is ready to name.
## Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating
This chapter is a gem. It blends humor, sexual tension, and real emotional vulnerability so well. The party setting forces Hannah and Garrett into a public performance, but the quiet moments are the ones that hit hardest: Garrett learning why Hannah refuses to drink, Hannah saving him from Kendall, and that final confession in Garrett’s mind. The red sweater scene is playful and flirty, while the Justin complication keeps the stakes messy. I loved how the chapter lets both characters lie to themselves in different ways. Hannah insists the kiss meant nothing. Garrett insists he only wants friendship. Neither is convincing. The pacing is sharp, the dialogue crackles, and the ending lands like a slap shot to the chest.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
## Next Chapter Prediction
Based on that cliffhanger, the next chapter is going to be all about the fallout. Garrett now knows he wants more than friendship, but Hannah is still chasing Justin and clinging to the “just friends” label. I predict we will see Garrett trying—and failing—to act normal around Hannah. The coffee study date with Justin will probably happen, and Garrett’s jealousy will boil over. There may also be a hockey game or campus moment where Hannah sees a different side of Garrett, forcing her to confront her own feelings. The tension is only going to get hotter, and someone is going to crack. My guess? Garrett makes a move he cannot take back, and Hannah finally has to admit that the kiss meant more than she promised.
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