All Chapters of THE QUARTERBACK NEXT DOOR: Chapter 11 - Chapter 20

Lena’s POVBy the time I get home that evening, my mind is already made up, even though a small part of me keeps trying to question it like I still have time to change my decision, but I know I don’t because this isn’t one of those choices I can afford to delay when money is involved and bills don’t wait for you to feel ready.I drop my bag on the bed and stand there for a moment, looking around my room in a way I haven’t done in a long time, taking in the small space, the familiar arrangement, the things I’ve managed to gather over time, and suddenly it feels different, not because anything has changed but because I know I’m about to leave it, even if it’s just for a job.This place has never been much, but it’s mine, and for a brief second, the thought of leaving it settles somewhere deeper than I expected, making me hesitate just enough to notice the feeling before I push it aside.Then I remember the amount Amelia mentioned, and just like that, hesitation stops being an option beca

Lena’s POVBy the time the last class before lunch ends, the weight of the day has already started settling in my shoulders, not because anything major has happened yet, but because there’s this quiet tension that keeps building underneath everything, the kind that makes even normal moments feel like they are leading to something I won’t be able to avoid.I step out into the corridor with my books held close, moving with the crowd instead of against it, keeping my pace steady and my head forward because it is easier to disappear when you don’t give people a reason to notice you, and for a few seconds, it almost works well enough for me to believe I might get through the break without anything happening.That illusion doesn’t last long.Someone steps directly into my path, not abruptly enough to cause a scene but deliberately enough that I have no choice but to stop, and when I lift my head, I already know this is not random.She stands there with two other girls behind her, their expr

Lena’s POVBy the time I step into the house, the quiet settles around me in a way that feels heavier than it did the first time, not because the place has changed but because I have, and now every small sound seems louder than it should be, from the soft click of the door behind me to the faint echo of my own steps as I move further inside.For a moment, I remain where I am, adjusting my bag on my shoulder while my eyes move slowly across the living room, taking in the space again even though I have already seen parts of it, reminding myself that I am only here because of a job and nothing more.“Are you planning to stand there all day, or is that how you normally start?”The voice comes from behind me, sharp and unimpressed, and I turn immediately, not startled but aware that there is something about her tone that makes ignoring her impossible.Chloe is sitting on the couch with one leg tucked under her, her phone resting loosely in her hand while her gaze remains fixed on me in a w

Lena’s POVBy the time I finish arranging the living room, I already feel like I have done enough to settle into the space, yet the silence around me does not feel peaceful in any way, and instead it carries this quiet tension that makes it seem like something is waiting to go wrong the moment I stop paying attention.I move slowly, adjusting the cushions again even though they are already in place, mostly to keep myself occupied, and for a brief moment everything feels still enough that I almost believe I might get through the next few hours without any problems.That thought disappears the second something hits the back of my leg.It is not painful, but it is enough to make me turn immediately, my attention snapping behind me as I try to understand what just happened.Chloe stands a few steps away holding a small ball, her face completely straight like nothing unusual just occurred, and the way she looks at me makes it difficult to tell whether she expects a reaction or simply does

Derek's POVI don’t come to the library to observe people, and I definitely don’t come here to get distracted by someone who should be completely irrelevant to my day, which is why the moment I step in and my attention lands on her without permission, irritation settles in almost immediately because this is exactly what I was trying to avoid.Everything about the place is quiet, controlled, exactly the way it should be, yet somehow she manages to sit there like a quiet disturbance in the middle of it all, her head lowered over an open book, posture slightly drawn in like she genuinely believes she can disappear if she tries hard enough.It doesn’t work.If anything, it makes her more noticeable, especially when she turns a page slowly, pauses like she is actually thinking about what she read, then writes something down with a level of seriousness that feels unnecessary for something this basic, and I don’t understand why that alone is enough to keep pulling my attention back.I look a