Page 23 of How I Ruined Everything by Kissing My Roommate

Sophie’s expression shifted, a flicker of pain crossing her features. "And let me guess. She told you exactly what you wanted to hear? That I’m just waiting for a reason to leave?"

"She told me you’d get bored of me," I whispered, the confession feeling like a physical weight leaving my body. "She told me that you’d outgrow my defensive nature. And because I’m a coward, I believed her. I was so busy trying to ruin us before you could ruin me that I forgot to actually look at you."

I walked closer, stopping just a few feet away. I reached into my pocket and pulled out her team scarf, the one I'd grabbed from the dorm. “You forgot this.”

Sophie’s eyes were hesitant as she took it from me. “Thanks.”

"I couldn’t sleep last night because I was thinking of you. I keep trying to find the exit because I'm terrified of the fall, Sophie. But being in that room without you this morning... it was worse than any fall. I couldn't breathe. I couldn't think. I realized the only thing I've actually ruined is my own chance to be happy with the only person who’s ever truly seen me."

Sophie finally stood up. She didn't move toward me yet, her blue eyes searching mine for the truth. "I’m not Riley, Iris. I never was. I’ve been standing right here, waiting for you to meet me halfway. But I can't keep chasing someone who’s constantly running for the door."

"I’m sorry. I'm done running," I promised, the tears finally spilling over. I didn't wipe them away. I wanted her to see them. I wanted her to see all of it. "I love you, Sophie Mercer. I love you so much that I’m terrified.” Her jaw dropped, surprised by my confession. “But everytime I try to come closer, my fear holds me back.” I swallowed. “But I’ve made up my mind now. I love you more than I love my fears. I love you more than I love my walls. I…I want to give this a shot. Please, can you give me another chance?"

The silence in the locker room stretched for a heartbeat, then two. Then, Sophie let out a long, shuddering breath and closed the distance between us. She didn't hug me immediately; she stopped inches away, her gaze fierce.

“You love me?” she asked.

“Yeah. I figured it out during our date, maybe earlier, when I showed you my painting. You’re the goodness I was afraid to hope for, the one thing that proves to me that this world isn’t all that hopeless. You’re my sunshine, Sophie, and without you, my world is dark and lifeless.”

Sophie blinked at me, her eyes a little glassy.

"I love you too, Iris Hart," she whispered a long moment later, her voice thick with emotion. "But if we do this, we do it for real. No more excuses. No more hiding in the shadows of the past. I need you to be all in. I need you to be proud to be mine, even when it’s loud, and even when it’s scary. Can you do that?"

"Yes," I said, and for the first time in a year, the word didn't feel like a threat. It felt like a release. "I'm all in. Public, private, whatever you need. I'm yours."

Sophie reached up, her hands cupping my face, her thumbs brushing away the tears. "Finally," she breathed.

She pulled me into a kiss that was deeper and more serious than anything we’d shared before. It wasn't a spark or a fleeting moment of heat; it was a tender, solemn promise made in the quiet of the locker room. It was the anchor I’d been searching for, the proof that I didn't have to be perfect to be loved.

We stayed like that for a long moment, our foreheads pressed together, the distant roar of the crowd outside beginning to swell.

“So, does that mean you’re my girlfriend now?” Sophie asked.

“Yeah,” I admitted. ‘Girlfriend’- that word sounded pretty nice. “I’m your girlfriend.”

Sophie smiled as I realized the sounds outside grew louder.

"You have a game to win," I murmured against her lips.

Sophie pulled back, a genuine, radiant smile finally breaking through. "I think I've already won the only thing that matters. But yeah... let's go give them a show."

The stadium was a sea of blue and gold, the air vibrating with a rhythmic chant that pulsed through the bleachers. I navigated the crowded stairs, feeling the weight of the scarf around my neck like a badge of honor. I didn't head for the back rows or the shadows this time. I walked straight toward the front, where Maya and Mark were already leaning over the railing, their faces painted in team colors.

"Iris!" Maya shouted over the roar, her eyes widening as she saw me. She took in my flushed face and the way I was clutching the railing. "You made it! Did you—?"

"Yeah, we made up. I'm all in, Maya," I yelled back, a breathless laugh escaping me.

Mark looked over, a slow, knowing smile spreading across his face. “Good, because I was one minute away from kicking your ass for making Sophie cry.”

The whistle blew, and the game ignited.

I had seen Sophie play before, but this was different. She wasn't just the golden girl fulfilling a duty; she was a force of nature. There was a renewed sense of purpose in every stride, a visible joy in the way she pivoted and called out plays to her teammates. Every time the ball reached her feet, she seemed to glow with an intensity that made it impossible to look away.

She wasn't just playing a game; she was living. And I was her girlfriend, watching her do it.

"Go, Sophie!" I found myself shouting, the sound tearing from my throat before I could even think to be embarrassed.

Maya cheered beside me, bumping her shoulder into mine. "That's it, Iris. Let her hear you."