Semua Bab My Arch Nemesis in my Bed: Bab 11 - Bab 20

I’d been the volleyball team’s student manager for two years, and despite everything that had happened, I wasn’t about to let personal drama ruin something I was actually good at.I wheeled the cart of water bottles onto the court, my clipboard tucked under my arm, stats sheet already half-filled from watching warm-ups.“Graves, you’re here.” Coach Martinez nodded approvingly as I began setting up the hydration station. “Good. These boys have been a mess without proper organization.”I smiled tightly, focusing on arranging the bottles in order of jersey numbers. It was easier than acknowledging the two pairs of eyes I could feel watching me from opposite sides of the court.Ethan was stretching near the net, stealing glances every few seconds like he wanted to approach but couldn’t figure out how. His nose was still slightly swollen and there was still a purple shadow under his left eye.On the other side, Luca was running drills with the setter. If he was aware of my presence, he did

“Did you apologize to Luca?”Mom’s question hit me the moment I walked through the front door, before I could even drop my backpack or take off my shoes. She was standing in the kitchen doorway, wooden spoon in hand, fixing me with that particular stare that meant business.“Hello to you too, Mom,” I muttered, kicking off my sneakers.“Lily Marie Graves.” The full name again. “I asked you a question.”I sighed, suddenly feeling exhausted. “Yes, I apologized.”“And?”“And what? I said I was sorry. He said it was fine. End of story.”Mom’s eyes narrowed. “That doesn’t sound like much of an apology.”“Well, it’s the one he got.” I moved toward the stairs, hoping to escape to my room, but she stepped into my path.“Your attitude lately has been absolutely unacceptable,” she said, her voice rising slightly. “That boy has been nothing but kind to you and you’ve been treating him like—”“Like what? Like he’s not actually my brother? Because newsflash, Mom—he’s not.”The hurt that flashed acr

The voice cut through the haze like a bucket of cold water. I jerked my head toward the doorway to find Ethan standing there, his eyes fixed on Luca’s hands on my body.I tried to pull away, but Luca’s grip tightened, holding me in place.“Ethan,” I said, my voice coming out strangled. “I was just finishing Luca’s physical.”“Looked pretty thorough,” Ethan said, his tone carefully neutral, but his eyes were dark as they tracked Luca’s hands on me.That’s when I realized—Luca wasn’t letting go. His fingers were still wrapped around my shoulder and elbow, keeping me close even though we’d been caught. The possessiveness in the gesture made my cheeks burn.“Just following protocol,” Luca said smoothly, but still didn’t release me. “Though I think Lily might need to recalibrate her equipment. My heart rate seemed elevated.”“Luca,” I hissed under my breath, finally jerking away from his grasp with enough force that I nearly knocked over the blood pressure machine.He let me go.“Your hear

During the ride home was. Ethan kept adjusting his rearview mirror, catching my eye every few seconds like he was waiting for me to say something.“So,” he finally said as we sat at a red light. “That was something.”I didn’t respond.“I mean, I knew he was good, but that level of play…” His knuckles went white on the steering wheel. “Makes you wonder what else he’s been hiding, right?”Naomi twisted in her seat to look at him. “What’s that supposed to mean?”“Nothing. Just… we practice with the guy every day. You’d think he’d mention playing semi-pro.”“Maybe he didn’t want to make you feel worse about yourself,” I said flatly.Ethan’s jaw tightened, and he didn’t speak again until we pulled into my driveway.“Look, Lily, I just think—”“Thanks for the ride.” I was already out of the car, bag slung over my shoulder.“Lily, wait—”I slammed the door and walked to my front porch without looking back. Through the window, I could see Naomi smacking Ethan’s arm, her mouth moving in what l

The senior class bulletin board looked like it had exploded. It is filled with college acceptance letters, graduation cap orders, yearbook deadline reminders, all of it pinned in overlapping layers that made my head spin just looking at it.“Did you turn in your cap and gown measurements?” Naomi asked, shoving her locker shut with more force than necessary.“Last week.” I hefted my backpack higher on my shoulder. “Did you see the list for graduation rehearsal volunteers? They want us there at six AM.”“Six AM? On a Saturday?” She groaned. “I swear they’re trying to kill us before we graduate.”Everyone walking a little faster, talking a little louder, like we could outrun the reality that in three weeks, this would all be over.“Graves.” Coach Martinez appeared at my elbow, clipboard in hand. “I need you to stay after practice today. The storage room is a disaster, and I need someone to help me sort through the equipment.”I groaned inwardly. My literature homework was still sitting u