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Can’t a man admit that he was wrong?

She shook her head as she typed back.

That’s not on brand for you

Then consider me rebranded!

Before she could type her response, another text came in. She scanned it, then felt like she couldn’t breathe.

I miss you

She stared at her screen, completely shocked. He…missed her? It was hands down the most intimate thing Jay had ever said to her, the closest he’d ever come to expressing some kind of emotion beyond his usual cocky arrogance. While there were a few moments Rory did witness a crack in his facade, it was always gone in a flash—a wall he clearly put up around others to hide whatever was actually going on in that thick, thick head of his.

Yet now, here he was, telling her he missed her.

Rory heard the squeaking of cleats as the rest of her team approached from the field. She switched off her phone and tossed it in her bag, wishing she could go back to answering a text that simply said “hi” instead of figuring out how to approach this massive bomb Jay just dropped on her.

“So who do you think is going to win tonight?” Kayla asked as she plopped down on the bench.

“Haverport,” Rory said confidently. Even if they were playing Garrison Prep, who were notorious for having the best teams in the state, tonight’s game was a shoo-in. Especially with Tyler out on the field.

“Not the game,” Kayla teased. “Who do you think is going to be crowned queen?”

Rory rolled her eyes as her teammates burst into a lively debate about which of the school’s popular girls was going to be elected for the coveted spot.

“I think Penelope’s got it,” Kayla said, untying her cleats. “That girl has every single teacher wrapped around her finger.”

“Yeah, but so many students hate her,” Gina retorted. “Just because she’s the class president doesn’t mean she’s going to win the popular vote. I say Rhianne.”

“No way,” interjected Helen before taking a swig of her water bottle, the rest of the team collectively waiting with bated breath. “Guys, come on, it’s going to be Zoe.”

Rory listened to her teammates murmur their approval. Zoe Clark was Haverport High’s “it” girl. Cheerleading captain. First selectman’s daughter. Tall. Blonde. Absolutely stunning.

But above everything else, Zoe was known for always being the kindest person in the room. With that kind of power, she could be whoever she wanted.

Rory detested her.

“Do you guys think Tyler will get king?” Gina asked.

Rory perked up, leaning in slightly as she listened.

“Against Walker? I don’t know, I feel like he doesn’t have a chance,” Kayla said.

Rory frowned. “Why not?”

Kayla shrugged. “Walker has always been the golden boy. Just because Tyler was made captain and is having an incredible football season doesn’t exactly mean he’s going to win.”

Helen rolled her eyes, tossing her cleats in her bag.

Rory scoffed. “That’s ridiculous. Tyler is ten times the person Walker is. And he isn’t just having a good season—he’s single-handedly carrying that team to victory.”

Kayla raised her arms in defense. “Not saying he isn’t. He’s just not that popular, you know?”

Rory pursed her lips. It seemed unfair that Tyler wouldn’t get the recognition he deserved because of some popularity contest. Walker may be the quarterback and the team’s second captain, but he certainly wasn’t as nice or hard-working as Tyler. He’d had everything handed to him on a silver platter…like his scholarship to play football for Auburn next fall, the same university where his father happened to be on the Board of Trustees.

But Tyler, who was always in the backyard working on his technique, always the first one to show up at practice and the last one to leave? He deserved to be Homecoming King, deserved a shot at playing college football—something she knew he’d wanted his whole life.

She knew he’d need to be offered a scholarship, which meant a recruiter would have to come watch him play. For some ridiculous reason that made no sense to her, not a single one paid a visit to their school. And with the season coming to an end and college application deadlines getting closer and closer, it seemed to her that Tyler might be running out of time.