All Chapters of Playing Hard To Get: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

Chapter One.The hallways of Madison Grove High smelled like floor wax, cheap perfume, and a thousand unspoken crushes. Lockers slammed like the beat of some chaotic teenage symphony, and earbuds blasted everything from country heartbreak to bass-heavy rap. Everyone had somewhere to be—somewhere cooler than wherever she was standing.Harper Lane adjusted her glasses and tugged at the bottom of her hoodie. It wasn’t baggy enough to hide the slight curve of her hips, or the way her jeans clung just a little too tight when she moved. She hated that. Not her body—at least, not all the time. But the way people looked at her. Like she didn’t belong. Like her quiet love of fantasy books and spreadsheets made her invisible until someone needed help with their chemistry notes.“Excuse me,” a voice said, brushing past her.Except it wasn’t just anyone.It was him.Jaxon Brooks.Senior. Quarterback. Six-foot-something of broad shoulders, too-white teeth, and that shaggy, golden-blond hair girls

The Post That Broke the SilenceThe cafeteria was a war zone.Plastic trays clattered, the smell of under seasoned fries lingered in the air, and every table was its own little kingdom of drama, judgment, and whispers. Harper weaved between them like a seasoned ghost—unseen unless someone needed the answer to tomorrow’s trig homework.She dropped her tray across from Mia and immediately slumped into the seat.“I hate science.”Mia snorted. “You love science.”“I hate science with him.”Mia raised a brow. “He said something, didn’t he?”Harper didn’t answer.“Oh my god.” Mia leaned forward, her hoop earrings catching the light. “Tell me.”Harper stabbed a fry. “He remembered my dragon binder.”Mia paused. “...From seventh grade?”“Yeah.”“Oh hell no.” She whipped out her phone. “That’s a setup. That’s serial killer energy. He remembered a binder, Harper. That’s not flirting. That’s psychological warfare.”Harper groaned, pushing her tray away. “What am I supposed to do? Pretend like I

One Year LeftHarper felt the weight of it before she even looked up.The stare.That particular stare.Sharp. Quiet. Watching. Daring her to flinch.She didn’t flinch.She looked.And there she was—Kenzie Matthews, perched like a glossy vulture three tables away, one manicured nail tapping rhythmically against her pink Stanley cup. Her friends laughed around her, but Kenzie wasn’t laughing.Kenzie was locked in on Harper like she’d already decided this year’s Homecoming crown came with a head to step on.Harper pulled her eyes away, suddenly hyperaware of her hoodie, the awkward way her legs were crossed, the fact that she wasn’t even eating the damn fries in front of her. “Knows what, though? There’s nothing to know.”“She doesn’t need facts, babe. She needs a vibe. And you’ve got Jaxon Brooks Vibe Disease all over you.”Harper groaned, sliding her tray farther away. “I’ve literally done nothing.”Mia gave her a look.“I haven’t!” Harper hissed. “Okay, maybe there was... eye contact

Harper hadn’t even finished brushing the eraser dust off her sketchbook when her phone buzzed.Jaxon Brooks: 8:42 PM come outsideShe stared at the screen. No punctuation. No emoji. Just two words, typed like a command that somehow still felt like a question.She kept staring.Another buzz.Jaxon Brooks: 8:43 PM not like that just... come ride nowhere with meHer heart stuttered.Because that didn’t sound like the boy who kissed her in stolen moments between library shelves.That sounded like the boy who once whispered he loved her, one breath away from her skin, the night they’d gone too far to pretend they didn’t feel anything.And the boy she’d ghosted.She pushed herself off the bed, shoved on sneakers, grabbed a hoodie, and crept down the hallway.Her dad was asleep. The house was still.She slipped out the door, the air heavy with late summer humidity.There he was.Parked under the weak glow of the streetlight, his truck rumbling low, windows down. He wasn’t texting, wasn’t pre

Chapter Nine: What You Deny,538The first sign something was off came during lunch.Harper was at her usual table—head down, earbuds in, pretending to scroll while Mia recapped some sophomore drama involving a bathroom selfie and a stolen hair straightener. Harper wasn’t really listening. She was too aware of the table across the quad.The football table.The table where Jaxon sat.Laughing, eating, blending in.Same as always.Except today... he wasn’t laughing much.He was watching her.Again.She felt it before she saw it.That subtle shift in the air. That quiet tug on her attention that always came with the weight of his gaze.She looked up, just once.His eyes were already on her.It lasted less than a second. A glance. A flicker.But it was enough.Enough for someone else to notice.Troy—not just Jaxon’s best friend, but also the team’s loudest mouth—followed the look and let out a low whistle.“Damn, bro. You been staring at quiet girl again?”Harper froze.Earbuds still in.