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Thirty Four

Author: Lovely
last update publish date: 2026-06-13 04:52:34

AUTHOR'S POV

The deep, mechanical rumble of a heavy diesel engine violently shook the asphalt outside the Ashford facility.

Friday night game time had officially arrived, but it brought absolutely none of the usual electric anticipation. Instead, the UCLA Bruins’ massive luxury team bus rolled into the visitor parking lot like a conquering army arriving to claim an uncontested surrender.

They spilled out of the bus doors in synchronized, pristine navy-and-gold tracksuits. The sharp, aggressive
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  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Forty Two

    AUTHOR'S POVKneeling on the filthy concrete of the parking garage, the metallic smell of blood mixed heavily with the exhaust fumes lingering in the air. Athena pressed her bare hands directly against the thick, jagged slash on Jeremiah’s left forearm. Dark crimson seeped rapidly between her fingers."We need to go to the ER right now, Jeremiah," Athena demanded, her voice shaking violently as she pressed down harder. "That needs stitches.""No hospitals," Jeremiah grunted, wincing as he shifted his weight against the dented minivan. "I’m not sitting in a waiting room for three hours answering police questions while they file a report. It’s just a graze.""Are you insane?" Athena yelled, her hazel eyes wide with panic. "You are literally bleeding out on the pavement!""I'm fine," Jeremiah rasped, his dark eyes snapping to her face, scanning her frantically. "Are you okay? Did he touch you?""I’m fine!""Guys," Tessa interrupted, hovering over them with her phone clutched to her chest

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Forty One

    AUTHOR'S POVCatching the heavy metal door just before it clicked shut, Athena stepped directly into the narrow corridor outside the Ashford locker room. Her chest heaved, completely fueled by the sheer audacity of the morning's interaction. She wasn't going to let him just skate away and pretend the shift in the atmosphere hadn't happened.Jeremiah was walking toward the exit, his heavy duffel bag slung over his right shoulder."Jeremiah, stop walking for two seconds," Athena demanded, stepping squarely into his path.He paused, his jaw visibly tightening. He didn't meet her eyes, staring instead at the cinderblock wall just past her ear."I’m busy, Cole," Jeremiah said, his voice entirely devoid of the warmth he had shown her just twenty-four hours ago. "I have film to review.""Film?" Athena scoffed, gesturing to the keys dangling from his fingers. "You’re literally carrying your car keys. Why are you acting like I don't exist? You can't just ice me out after last night.""Because

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Forty

    AUTHOR'S POVStorming down the sweeping marble staircase of the Bel Air estate, Jeremiah gripped his car keys so tightly the metal dug into his palm. He just wanted to get out. Breathing the air in this house felt like inhaling glass.Crossing the massive foyer, a heavy hand slammed flat against the double doors, physically blocking his exit.Arthur Ashford stood there, his face completely rigid."Move," Jeremiah said, his voice a low, vibrating warning."You think locking yourself in a bedroom ends the conversation?" Arthur scoffed, keeping his hand pressed against the wood. "You are acting like a spoiled teenager. If you walk out that door and refuse to handle the Cole situation, I will freeze your trust fund by midnight.""Do it." Jeremiah didn't even blink. "Freeze it. Give it to Vanessa. Burn it in the backyard. I don't care.""I will personally call Julian Vance and have the athletic board dissolve the Falcons' charter." Arthur stepped closer, invading his son's space. "I will d

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Thirty Nine

    AUTHOR'S POVKilling the engine of his SUV, Jeremiah sat in the driveway of the massive Bel Air estate for a full ten seconds before pulling the keys from the ignition. The text from the family housekeeper had been urgent: his mother’s autoimmune flare-up had spiked, leaving her entirely bedridden.Pushing through the heavy mahogany front doors, the oppressive, museum-like silence of his childhood home instantly wrapped around his throat. He didn't bother calling out a greeting. Taking the sweeping marble staircase two steps at a time, he bypassed the pristine living rooms and headed straight for the master wing.Pushing the heavy oak door open, the smell of eucalyptus and sterile medical linens hit him.His mother lay propped up against a mountain of white pillows, looking pale and exhausted. But she wasn't alone. Sitting in the velvet chair beside the bed, aggressively scrolling through her phone, was Vanessa. The daughter of his father’s primary real estate partner, Vanessa had bee

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Thirty Eight

    AUTHOR'S POVWatching the heavy metal door begin to close, the reality of Athena’s utter indifference finally pierced Luca’s ego. The hurt instantly curdled into hot, blinding anger. She didn't get to just walk away from him. She didn't get to look at him with pure pity and go back to a guy who was currently stealing his championship spotlight.Lunging forward, Luca caught the edge of the door with his left hand and grabbed Athena’s upper arm with his right, forcefully jerking her backward into the humid Los Angeles heat."I said I wasn't finished talking to you," Luca snapped, his grip tightening on her jacket.Gasping, Athena stumbled back, her eyes flashing with sudden fury. "Let go of me, Luca. Right now.""You don't get to dismiss me like I'm some rookie you can just scratch from the roster. I built you up at Westbridge, Cole. You owe me a conversation."Before she could yank her arm free, the heavy facility door violently smashed open, slamming against the exterior brick wall wi

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Thirty Seven

    ATHENAStaring blindly at the whiteboard in the coaches' office, the dry-erase marker hovered uselessly in my right hand. I hadn't drawn a single play in twenty minutes. Every time I closed my eyes, my brain immediately hijacked my focus, dragging me right back to the quiet, heavy warmth of my apartment last night. I could still feel the phantom weight of Jeremiah’s hands on my waist, the sharp smell of his spearmint gum, and the absolute, terrifying safety of his chest against mine.For the first time since my transfer, the constant anxiety vibrating in my ribs was entirely gone.Then, my phone screen lit up on the desk, buzzing violently against the cheap wood.Dropping the marker, I leaned over and glanced at the notification. My stomach instantly dropped.**Luca [4:15 PM]:** *I’m parked by the loading dock. We need to talk. Five minutes, Athena. Please.*Swiping the notification away so hard my thumb hit the edge of the phone case, I flipped the device face-down."Okay, judging by

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Thirty One

    AUTHOR'S POVDespite the early hour, the already beat down on the pavement with a blinding, oppressive glare. Heat radiated in thick waves off the concrete pathways surrounding the UCLA Athletic Board Administration Building. Pushing through the heavy, tinted glass double doors, the sudden blast of

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Thirty

    AUTHOR'S POVHeavy sunlight poured through the floor-to-ceiling windows of the boutique organic juice bar in Westwood. Outside the glass, the midday traffic crawled down the sun-bleached boulevard, a shimmering line of luxury SUVs and imported sedans. Inside the heavily air-conditioned cafe, the d

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Twenty Eight

    ATHENA“What?”"I’m maintaining momentum, Cole," Jeremiah fired back. His chest heaved with exertion, his dark eyes locking onto mine. "Maybe if your drill structures actually factored in realistic transition times instead of theoretical geometry, I wouldn't have to compensate for the lag.""My geo

  • Rejected by my team, Claimed by the Rival   Twenty Seven

    ATHENAExiting the brutalist architecture of the humanities building, the humid air hit my face like a hot, wet towel. The midday sun beat down mercilessly on the concrete walkways, reflecting a harsh, blinding glare off the massive windows of the student center. Scanning the crowded plaza for Tes

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