جميع فصول : الفصل -الفصل 70

CHAPTER 61: FIRST LOVEJAYDEN'S POVI always thought crushes were flimsy illusions, the type of feelings you shake off after a week, but whatever I feel for Maya refuses to fade. I keep it buried under sarcasm, under my signature smirk, under the practiced ease I use to fool everyone, yet inside my chest something noisy keeps pounding whenever she appears. I have gone through plenty of training drills, endless sprints, impossible tackles, but nothing exhausts me like hiding my affection for her.Yes I have totally kissed countless girls and still feel nothing for any one of them but Maya was different. Each and every time I see her all I want to do is wrap my hands around her waist and kiss her, tell her she's beautiful and that I would not mind waiting till she feels the same way for me.The day I realized everything shifted was during football practice. Charlotte dragged Maya to the field, and they settled near the bleachers. They were yelling encouragement for Max, who was showing

CHAPTER 63: DREAMS MAYA'S POV “Maya! Maya, help me!”My mum’s voice dragged me back into existence like someone yanked the charger out of my brain. I spun so fast I nearly dislocated my entire soul.“Oh my— argh! What— who— WHY?!”My heart almost escaped my chest.Because standing at the door was my mother.But also not my mother.I blinked aggressively, trying to unsee what I was seeing.“Mum… what did you do to your hair?” My jaw dangled. “You look so…so what the heck did you do to your hair? You look so I don't know the right word to use. Fucking different?”She lifted an eyebrow, arms folded like she was the CEO of Chaos Inc.“First,” she said calmly, “stop shouting and stop with the curse words. Second—” she pointed at her head with dramatic flair “I went to get a haircut and dye because I am going to my book club meeting tonight, and apparently, they’re choosing one book club to host a podcast collaboration or something. So yes, I decided to look presentable.”“Presentable?” I

CHAPTER 65: TA DAMAYA'S POV Such an asshole, seriously.Who sends a voice note and then deletes it before I can even blink? Jayden had the audacity to act confused earlier, then he drops something into my notifications and snatches it back like a thief in the night? Fantastic, beautiful, amazing. Men are unserious.I sighed, leaned into the mirror, dabbed my lip gloss again, and tried to trick myself into believing this night wasn’t a total disaster. It wasn’t working. My eyes said help, my posture said run, and my soul said go home and sleep forever.But fine, I had to go back. I couldn’t hide in the bathroom like a raccoon living behind a restaurant dumpster.I straightened my dress, inhaled slowly, and pushed open the door.The restaurant buzzed softly with conversation couples laughing, friends clinking glasses. I felt like an alien returning to a planet where everyone else knew how to function.Caleb didn’t turn when I approached. He was too busy rearranging the chopsticks lik

CHAPTER 67: WELL HELLO ETHAN'S POV Just something to get my mind off the pressure, I assured myself. Just for one minute and I'll remove it I promise.The screen filled with thumbnails, each one a promise to drown out the screaming inside me. I scrolled and then I clicked. I didn’t care what I saw, only that it pulled me away from me.I pulled my towels away from me and after about five minutes of mourning and touching myself I couldn't stop. Minutes passed, seconds and before I could blink again it was already 6pm but I couldn't stop.I loved the dopamine feel, I enjoyed the pleasure and –BANG! BANG!BANG The deafening bang on the door jolted me upright and back to reality. My heart thudded against my ribs as I scrambled to the corner of the room to pick my shorts on the floor.I wore it as quickly as I could trying not to make any sound as I ran to the door to open it “Hey Amber, why are you doing at my door?” I said trying not to seem nervous or suspicious “ excuse me” she

CHAPTER 69: MISS GORGCHARLE’S POVTWO YEARS AGO The field was soaked with late afternoon sunlight, the kind that made sweat shine on your skin like cheap jewelry. Football practice had been brutal, the kind of drill that left your legs screaming and your lungs begging for mercy. But it was the perfect excuse to burn off the tension that always lingered in my chest when I was around Amber.Max shouted from the sideline, waving a clipboard like a general, but I wasn’t listening. I barely registered the plays. My mind was elsewhere, tangled in thoughts that had nothing to do with drills, nothing to do with teammates, nothing to do with football.Amber has been impossible lately, chaotic, magnetic and yes, I liked and enjoyed the power I had over her. The way she flustered when I teased, the way she rolled her eyes but secretly laughed. That thrill had me on edge most of the time. But today, something else had shifted.I dribbled the ball downfield, ignoring the shouts, the whistles,