# Chapter 28: When Lasagna Leads to Love
Hello everyone, it's me again! How are you all doing today? Welcome back to our reading journey through "The Deal: Off Campus." I hope you've got your snacks ready because Chapter 28 is an absolute treat—a beautifully simmering chapter where the walls around Garrett's heart begin to crack in the most delicious way possible. Today, we witness our favorite hockey-playing, commitment-phobic hero face something far more terrifying than any opponent on the ice: his own feelings. So grab a cup of coffee (or maybe a slice of lasagna, and you'll understand why soon), and let's dive in!
We open this chapter from Garrett's perspective, and the moment he steps through the front door, something feels different. The house smells like an Italian restaurant, and he's immediately confused. He looks to Logan, who shares his bewilderment, but neither of them has any explanation. Following the mouthwatering aroma into the kitchen, Garrett blinks in disbelief at the sight before him: Hannah, wearing Tucker's pink oven mitts, pulling a steaming tray of lasagna from the oven. She looks over her shoulder, smiles, and greets him like it's the most natural thing in the world. The image is so domestic, so warm and unexpected, that it hits him like a puck to the chest. This isn't just a girl he's tutoring for sex—this is a girl who cooked dinner for him and his roommates without being asked. And for a guy like Garrett, who admits that no woman besides his mother has ever done something like this for him, it's a devastating blow to his carefully constructed emotional walls.
His roommates descend on the kitchen like a pack of wolves, and soon the five of them are seated around a table that Hannah thoughtfully cleaned and covered with a blue-and-white tablecloth. The conversation turns to Halloween plans, and we get a revealing glimpse into Garrett's hidden pain. When Dean jokes that Garrett is scared of ghosts, Garrett deflects with a casual dismissal about Halloween being pointless. But the narration hints at something deeper, something Garrett refuses to share with anyone. He hates October thirty-first with every fiber of his being, but the real reason remains locked away in a place he doesn't let anyone see. This small moment is a window into his complexity—a guy who acts like he doesn't need anyone but carries wounds that clearly still ache.
The lasagna is devoured in record time—these boys eat like they've been deprived of food for weeks—and Hannah is left marveling at the empty dishes. When she tries to clean up, Tucker practically body-checks her out of the kitchen, quoting his mama's rules about cooking and cleaning. It's a hilarious moment, but it also highlights how this group of guys, despite their crude humor, has a genuine sense of decency. Logan and Dean try to sneak away, but Tucker ropes them back in for dish duty, granting Garrett a free pass because he has to drive Hannah home. The moment Garrett and Hannah are alone in the hallway, he pulls her close, kissing her deeply and thanking her for dinner. She blushes, teasing him about his "sex god" status and implying that tonight's meal is a one-time deal. But then she whispers something that makes the arrangement far more complicated: she still gets the orgasms. And Garrett, who's been so determined to keep things casual, finds himself unsettled by the thought of this ending.
Here's where the chapter delivers its most powerful emotional beat. Garrett confesses to himself—and to us—that he's not sure what's happening between them. The deal was supposed to be simple: help Hannah overcome her sexual hang-ups, then walk away. Problem solved. But now he realizes he doesn't want to walk away. He doesn't want a girlfriend, he tells himself. His focus is hockey, graduation, and the scouts who are already showing up at games. Yet the thought of not spending time with Hannah brings "the oddest clench of regret" to his gut. He kisses her again, harder this time, losing himself in her taste and her warmth, and a profound thought crosses his mind: "Sometimes people sneak up on you and suddenly you don't know how you ever lived without them." By the end of the scene, Garrett makes a quiet, monumental decision: it might be time to reevaluate his stance on girlfriends.
Then the perspective shifts to Hannah, and we're thrown into the chaotic, hilarious world of Halloween. Her roommate Allie bursts into the room dressed as a "cat-bird"—a skintight blue bodysuit with feathers and cat ears—because she couldn't decide which costume to wear, and her boyfriend Sean sarcastically suggested she be both. Allie's rant about the absurdity of adding "sexy" to any mundane noun is comedy gold, and it's a perfect palate cleanser after the emotional weight of the previous scene. But Hannah's mind isn't on the party. She's thinking about Garrett, who's spending Halloween alone, sulking at home. The more she thinks about him, the more she wants to ditch her commitment to help Tracy hand out drinks at the dorm crawl.
In a bold move, Hannah crosses the hall to Tracy's room and asks to bail—and to borrow her car. Tracy's reaction is priceless. When she realizes that Hannah is ditching her to spend the night with Garrett Graham, she doesn't get upset; she gets excited, practically melting at the thought of Garrett's smile and demanding that Hannah record everything. Tracy's enthusiasm is both hilarious and a little mortifying, but it gives Hannah the green light she needs. With car keys in hand, Hannah texts Garrett to see if he's home. His response is immediate and warm: "Glad you came to your senses, baby. Get your ass over here." And with that, the chapter ends on a note of anticipation, because we all know what's waiting for Hannah when she walks through that door.
This chapter is a masterclass in emotional subtlety and character development. The lasagna dinner is the catalyst—a simple, domestic act that shatters Garrett's defenses and forces him to confront the fact that Hannah has become more than just a deal. The Halloween subplot adds levity and provides a stark contrast to the intensity of the Garrett-Hannah dynamic. The dual perspectives allow us to see both sides of the story: Garrett's internal struggle with his growing feelings, and Hannah's determination to be there for him even when she doesn't fully understand why he needs her. The stakes are raised not through external conflict, but through internal realization. Garrett is beginning to see that some things—some people—are worth more than the plan he's mapped out for his life. And Hannah, despite her insecurities and her fear of relationships, is willingly stepping into the unknown to be with him.
**Reader's Impressions**
As a reader, this chapter left me with a warm, fluttery feeling in my chest. The lasagna scene is so tender, so unexpectedly domestic, that it made me fall even harder for Garrett and Hannah as a couple. I love that Garrett, for all his bravado and his insistence that he doesn't want a girlfriend, is completely undone by something as simple as a home-cooked meal. It's such a human moment—a reminder that even the toughest among us crave connection and care. The hallway kiss gave me butterflies, and that line about people sneaking up on you is the kind of quote that sticks with you long after you've closed the book. The Halloween scenes were a delightful reprieve, with Allie's cat-bird costume and Tracy's over-the-top enthusiasm providing plenty of laughs. And that final text exchange? I literally cheered. Hannah is choosing Garrett, and Garrett is waiting for her with open arms (and probably an open heart, even if he's not ready to admit it yet).
Rating: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐ (5/5 Stars)
This chapter deserves every single star and more. It seamlessly blends humor, romance, and emotional depth, moving the story forward while deepening our understanding of the characters. It's a turning point, and it's executed flawlessly.
**Next Chapter Prediction**
Oh, I have a feeling the next chapter is going to be explosive—in the best possible way. Hannah is heading to Garrett's house on Halloween night, and given the magnetic tension between them, I suspect this is the night they finally cross the line from a "deal" into something far more real. Will Garrett open up about why he truly hates Halloween? Will Hannah confess that she's falling for him just as deeply as he's falling for her? And how will the morning after change the landscape of their relationship? I predict a lot of heat, a lot of vulnerability, and maybe—just maybe—a confession or two that will redefine everything. But knowing these two, there will also be plenty of banter and a few surprises along the way. I, for one, cannot wait to see what happens when the masks come off—literally and figuratively.
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