LOGINLUKE’S P.O.VGAME DAYThe air in the locker room smells like sweat and nerves. Coach Adams paces in front of the lockers, voice booming as he delivered his final pep talk. His tie was already loose, sleeves rolled up, the same fire in his eyes he got every big single game.“Second to last game of the season, boys. Summit Wolves think they’re walking in here and taking our house. You show them today that Westfield Eagles don’t fold. Play smart, play together, and leave everything on that floor. Playoffs are two weeks away this is where momentum is made!”The team explodes, fists pounding against lockers, shouts echoing. Everyone except Vincent who sits on the bench, elbows on his knees, staring at the floor like he was already five minutes into the game. That’s just Vincent, he’s always been quiet before every single game.I bounce on my toes, heart hammering with good energy. As we rise to head out, Vincent’s eyes met mine. He gives me one firm nod nothing dramatic, but it said
DRE’S P.O.V“Andrea Waters. My Girlfriend,” Luke says softly, his lips spreading into the proudest, cutest smile I’ve ever seen.His smile is goddamn contagious because he has me smiling just as brightly too. He shakes his head slowly, like he still can’t trust this new reality.“I keep thinking I’m going to wake up,” he murmurs, reaching across the dashboard. His fingers find my chin, tilting my face toward him. “But then I touch you… and I know it’s real.”He kisses me right there in the school parking lot, no hesitation, or fear of who might see. His mouth melts into mine, and when he catches my bottom lip between his teeth, a quiet groan slips out of me. He smiles against my lips, deepening the kiss like he’s been waiting years for permission to do exactly this.I’m his girlfriend, and he’s my boyfriend, and it’s all because of one reason. I love him, and he loves me. It’s plain simple, there’s no other reason we’re together other than that.The sharp ring of the warning be
LUKE’S P.O.VWhen Dre wakes up the next day, it feels like every word I poured into her the night before has finally taken root. She’s being a lot kinder to herself. The weight she’s carried for so long has started to lift. It might take time for her to fully see herself the way I do, the way she truly is—but I’m going to walk beside her through every single step until that day comes. I’m never letting go.She stirs; her eyes are puffy but clearer than they were last night. I don’t waste a second when she wakes. I pull her into my arms. My lips find her forehead, her cheeks, the bridge of her nose, then the corner of her mouth. My kisses say everything my voice sometimes can’t. Then I spend the next ten minutes drowning her in hugs, showering her with love and more reverent kisses, whispering reassurance against her skin. I’m never going to get tired of this—of reminding her how deeply she’s loved.She smiles warmly, rubbing lightly against her flushed nose.“I thought about what
LUKE'S P.O.VI pull back just enough to cup Dre's face in both hands, my thumbs gently brushing away the tears still clinging to her lashes. Her eyes are red-rimmed and glassy, her lips swollen from crying and biting on them nervously. But she has never looked more beautiful to me.“Baby,” I whisper. I shake my head and let out a broken sigh, the words catching in my throat for a moment because I don’t yet know exactly what to say, only that I have to say something to her because it hurts, Dre. It hurts so much to hear you say this.“I don’t know what will make you believe whatever I'm going to say, but I’ll say it over and over again till you fucking believe it. You’re none of those things you mentioned, Andrea. None of them.” My voice cracks, but I push through, needing her to hear every word. “I love you. I love you so much it hurts. If anything, I’m the one who doesn’t deserve you. No one deserves you. You're so good to be true, Dre. You’re the best thing that’s ever happened to
LUKE’S P.O.VDre looks over her shoulder while I walk a little quicker, falling into her steps. I stay quiet, trying to pick up on her mood since she hadn’t responded to my last text about the date.It took everything I had to send the text. My confidence does surprise me sometimes, because I still find it hard to believe I actually sent it—without the usual fear of scaring her off that’s been choking me lately. I thought about it before class, and the next thing I knew, I was hitting send.Now, I can’t gauge her tone or how she really feels about the whole date thing from her one-sentence response. But from the way she’s looking, I don’t think she likes the idea.The sky hangs grey above us as we reach my car in the parking lot. It’s always like this when we leave school. Our schedules of late line up because of games and practice, so I get to drive her home after her tutoring sessions and my training.I open the passenger door and help her in, watching her for a few extra sec
DRE’S P.O.VGeneral class has begun, and the subject is plain, simple mathematics.I like the general classes aside from the fact that everyone I don’t want to see is present. I don’t have to stress as much as I do in AP classes, because they're less challenging. I scan the class out of habit, searching for Luke. I’m considering slipping into the back row with him so we can goof around like we do sometimes, but he isn’t here. He and the rest of the team got permission to train instead. Silver sits next to me, glued to her phone because she doesn’t take this class seriously either.“Well, aren’t we a prideful pair,” she jokes when she notices I have no books or pencils out to take notes.I tap a finger to my temple and grin. “It’s math. We can solve any question easily in our heads.”“Exactly!”It’s great having Silver around. If I’d made that same joke to Luke, he would’ve rolled his eyes, muttered something about me being a nerd, and then laughed anyway. I like doing well
DRE’S P.O.VI can’t sit here anymore. The silence after my words feels suffocating, and the way Luke is looking at me —hurt but not surprised— makes my chest ache even more.I stand up abruptly, wiping the last tears from my cheeks. “I’ll be in my room.”Without waiting for his reply, I turn and wa
DRE’S P.O.V I dry swallow, watching Luke from across the sofa. “I know you meant everything you said,” I say quietly. “I was drunk in the vineyard, and I said a lot of things too. I don’t know how to feel about this.” He sits up a little. “What do you mean?” “I’m saying, I don’t feel the sam
LUKE’S P.O.V.I glance at Dre, who’s still squirming lightly against the camera straps, her eyes still full with mischief.I answer the call and press the phone to my ear, keeping my voice calm.“Hey, Halle.”“Luke! Finally. I’ve been texting and calling Dre for days. Is everything okay over there?
LUKE’S P.O.V.We’re finally on the road, leaving the vineyard, villa and field behind. The sun has just started to set as I drive.Dre finished the entire bottle of Malbec after our photos in the field. She’s completely drunk now, loose and wild, filled with energy I both love and worry about.The







