All Chapters of Falling for the Bad Boy Athlete: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

POV: KaiThe squeak of rubber against the polished hardwood is the only music I need. It’s sharp, rhythmic, and tells me exactly where everyone is on the court without me having to look. I dodge a sweating freshman who thinks he can actually guard me, pivot on my heel, and launch the ball. It arcs through the air, a perfect trajectory that ends in the satisfying swish of the net."Nice shot, Kai!" Coach Miller yells from the sidelines. I don't look at him. I don't need the praise. I know I’m the best player this university has seen in a decade.I wipe the sweat from my forehead with the hem of my jersey, catching the collective gasp from the group of girls huddled in the bleachers. It’s always the same. They come for the game, but they stay for the show. I give them a wink—just a small one—and they practically melt into the floor. It’s a role I play well. The arrogant star, the rule-breaker who can get away with anything because he can sink a three-pointer from half-court.But as I gr

POV: Best FriendI’ve seen that look on Ava’s face exactly twice. The first time was when she realized she’d missed a single bonus question on her Calculus final in high school. The second time? Right now, as she stomps into our shared dorm room, her scholarship folder clutched to her chest like it’s a bulletproof vest."You look like you just went ten rounds with a blender," I say, not looking up from the nail polish I’m painstakingly applying. "Let me guess. The library didn't have the 1924 edition of whatever boring thing you were looking for?""Kai Thorne is a menace," she spits out, collapsing onto her twin bed.I freeze, the polish brush hovering dangerously over my pinky. "Wait. Back up. You actually talked to the Campus King? The man who has a literal throne in the athlete’s lounge and a trail of broken hearts longer than the stadium bleachers?"Ava groans into her pillow, her voice muffled but indignant. She explains the 'deal.' The mid-term essay. The way he looked at her sc

POV: KaiThe coach's office smells like stale sweat and disappointment. It’s a scent I’ve grown used to over the years, though usually, it’s masked by the adrenaline of a win. Today, there’s no adrenaline. Only the heavy, rhythmic thud of a clipboard hitting a desk."You think you’re untouchable, Kai," Coach Miller says. He doesn't look at me. He’s staring at a printout of my midterm grades like they’re a crime scene. In a way, they are. "You think because you lead the conference in points per game, the university will look the other way when you treat your GPA like a suggestion."I lean back in the hard plastic chair, stretching my legs out. I try to look bored. It’s a defense mechanism, a mask I wear so well I sometimes forget what’s underneath. "I’m passing, Coach. Mostly.""Mostly doesn't keep you on the court," he snaps, finally looking up. His eyes are bloodshot. He’s under pressure too. The boosters want a championship, and I’m the only way they get one. "The Dean called me thi

POV: RivalThe rhythmic thud of basketballs against the hardwood echoed through the Crestwood University gym like a heartbeat. I wiped the sweat from my forehead, my eyes fixed on the far court where the golden boy was putting on a show. Kai. Just the name made my jaw tighten. He moved with a reckless grace that I’ve always found infuriating. Every spectator in the bleachers was focused on him, their gazes following his every sprint and jump as if he were the only athlete in the building.I’ve spent years perfecting my form and following every rule the coaches set. Yet, the spotlight always finds the guy who treats the playbook like a suggestion. It isn't right. This campus has a hierarchy, and star athletes are supposed to be at the top, but Kai doesn't deserve the crown he wears so lightly.As I reached for my water bottle, I noticed a flicker of movement near the entrance. Ava was standing there. The scholarship student. The "good girl" who usually looks like she’s carrying the wei

POV: KaiI leaned against the cold brick of the stadium corridor, my chest heaving as I tried to mask the tremor in my legs. That last layup had been a mistake. My knee screamed, a sharp, white-hot reminder that I was playing on borrowed time. I saw Ava hovering by the entrance, her eyes wide, probably wondering why the "campus god" was suddenly looking human.She looked small in the shadow of the gym, clutching her textbook like a shield. I hated how she watched me—not with the starry-eyed hunger of the girls who usually followed the team, but with this annoying, clinical pity. She knew something was wrong. I could see it in the way she bit her lip, debating whether to play the Good Samaritan."You're still here," I called out, my voice rougher than I intended. I shoved off the wall, forcing a smirk that didn't reach my eyes. "Follow me to get a better look at the star player, or did you just lose your way to the library?"Ava straightened her shoulders. "You collapsed, Kai. I saw yo