# Chapter 23: The Weight of a Promise
Hello everyone, it’s me again! How are you all doing? Today I will continue to walk with you and review Chapter 23 of *The Deal: Off Campus*. This is one of those chapters that sneaks up on you—not because it’s loud or dramatic in the usual way, but because it places Garrett Graham in a situation where his usual confidence and charm can’t save him. He’s not just chasing Hannah anymore. He’s trying to protect her, understand her, and somehow not mess up the fragile trust she’s placed in him. So grab a seat, because this chapter is all about pressure, tenderness, and the terrifying space between wanting someone and being trusted by them.
The chapter opens in the weight room, where half the hockey team is hungover from the night before. Garrett, surprisingly, is not one of them. But his clarity doesn’t come from rest or hydration. It comes from the three words that have been pounding through his skull since he dropped Hannah off at her dorm: *Hannah was raped.* Every time the thought rises, Garrett feels a freight train of fury tear through him. He wishes Hannah had given him a name, a phone number, an address—anything that would let him do something with all this helpless rage. But at the same time, he knows it’s better she didn’t. Otherwise, he’d probably already be in his car, on his way to commit a crime he wouldn’t regret.
He hopes the man who hurt her paid for it. He hopes he’s rotting in jail. Better yet, he hopes he’s dead.
Logan pulls him out of his dark spiral with the usual mocking tone, telling him he’s slacking on the bench press. Garrett channels every ounce of his anger into the barbell, pressing it up again and again while Logan spots him. When they switch places, Logan says he’s pissed at Garrett. Why? Because Garrett told him he wasn’t interested in Wellsy, and now he clearly is. Garrett admits it—he wasn’t interested before, at least not when they talked, but now he is. Logan isn’t cruel about it. He even says he’s not surprised Garrett saw the error of his ways, because Hannah is cool, beautiful, smart, and funny.
But Garrett’s mind keeps drifting. Hannah finishes work at ten, and then she’s coming straight to his place. They’re going to have sex. Or rather, she wants him to help her fix something inside herself. The pressure in Garrett’s gut tightens into a massive knot. He is terrified of doing something wrong, of hurting her, of failing her. Then he reminds himself of the truth he clings to: Hannah Wells is not broken. She survived something monstrous, but she is too strong to be broken by it. What she lacks is trust and confidence. She needs someone to guide her, patiently and carefully. But can that someone really be Garrett? He doesn’t know the first thing about sleeping with a rape victim, and the thought nearly paralyzes him.
Logan, meanwhile, asks for an exemption from the bro code—permission to date Hannah if Garrett ever breaks up with her. Garrett’s fingers stiffen on the bar. The thought of Logan hooking up with Hannah makes him want to hurl the barbell across the gym, but he knows Hannah would never date Logan, especially now that he understands her hang-ups. So he shrugs and grants the exemption, even if it costs him something inside.
After the workout, Garrett seeks out Birdie—the senior everyone goes to for real advice. He asks if Birdie has ever slept with a virgin. Birdie says yes, and reveals that his girlfriend Natalie was a virgin when they first got together. Garrett listens as Birdie gives him the only guidance he can: figure out what kind of girl she is, low-key or mega romantic. Garrett immediately knows Hannah is low-key. Candles and rose petals would only make her nervous. Birdie’s advice is simple but heavy with meaning: go slow, make sure she’s comfortable, and include lots of foreplay. Then he tells Garrett not to stress too much, because sex is supposed to be fun.
Garrett groans out loud when Birdie leaves. Fun? How can he not stress? He repeats Birdie’s words like a mantra: make her comfortable, go slow, lots of foreplay, don’t stress. He can do that. Or at least, he damn well hopes he can.
**Reader’s Impressions & Star Rating**
This chapter is so much more than a setup for a steamy scene. It’s Garrett at his most vulnerable and his most human. He’s not just trying to be a good lover—he’s trying to be a safe place for someone he cares about, and the fear of failing her is almost overwhelming. I loved how the chapter balanced raw anger with tenderness. Garrett’s fury at Hannah’s attacker, his quiet conversation with Logan, and his honest, awkward request for Birdie’s advice all felt authentic. The fact that he calls Hannah a virgin to Birdie instead of telling the full truth is painful, but also understandable—he’s protecting her privacy while still trying to learn how to help her. The weight of the upcoming night hangs over every page, and I felt Garrett’s anxiety as if it were my own.
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ Rating: 4.8 / 5 Stars
**Next Chapter Prediction**
In Chapter 24, Hannah will arrive at Garrett’s apartment after work, and the air between them will be thick with nerves. Garrett will try to follow Birdie’s advice—go slow, be patient, keep her comfortable—but Hannah’s own anxiety and past trauma may make things complicated. I predict they won’t simply fall into bed. There will be hesitation, check-ins, and maybe a moment where Hannah almost pulls away. Garrett will have to prove that he’s not just doing this to satisfy his own desire, but because he genuinely wants to help her reclaim something that was taken from her. It could be awkward, emotional, and deeply intimate. And by the end, their relationship may shift into something even more complicated than either of them expected.
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