Chapter 3 The first game

Ava's POV

I wasn't sure how I ended up here.

One minute, I was closing my laptop, ending another exhausting tutoring session with Logan Carter. The next, I was shaking hands on a deal I wasn't even sure I wanted to make. I was going against my rules again.

"Come to the game, and I'll help you find a part-time job," he had said, flashing that cocky grin like he already knew I'd say yes.

And somehow, against all logic, I had said yes!

stupid!!

Now, I was packed into the freezing bleachers of Westbridge Stadium, surrounded by screaming fans, girls with too much make up , and everything I was not a customized regretting every life decision that had led to this moment.

"Come on, Ava, at least try to look excited!" my neighbor, Sophie, yelled over the deafening cheers.

I forced a tight smile. "Super excited," I deadpanned, gripping my coat tighter around me. I don't know what came over me to accept the deal

guess you can call it desperation!!

Sophie rolled her eyes. "You're impossible. At least tell me you're here to support our team."

I shrugged, eyes drifting toward the field. "I'm here for the job offer."

That was my official excuse, anyway.

In reality, my gaze kept finding him.

Logan Carter stood at the center of the field, helmet in hand, radiating confidence like he owned the damn place. The floodlights cast a glow over the field, highlighting the sharp cut of his jaw, the ease in his stance.

I wasn't watching him.

I was observing. Academically. For science. for practice.

Right?

The game hadn't even started, and yet the energy in the stadium was electrifying. are they always like this?. The Westbridge Titans were facing off against the Crestmont Hawks, their biggest rivals. Everyone around me was buzzing, already debating plays and betting on scores.

I, on the other hand, was trying to figure out how much longer I had to endure this before I could leave.

Just then, the announcer's voice boomed through the stadium speakers.

"And here come the Titans!"

The crowd erupted as Logan slipped his helmet on, jogging onto the field with his teammates. Even from here, I could see the way people responded to him the way they chanted his name, the way girls in the front row screamed like he was some kind of celebrity.

I shouldn't have cared.

But when he glanced toward the stands toward my section my breath hitched for a second.

I knew he couldn't see me. he couldn't right? I mentally asked myself.

And yet, for some ridiculous reason, it felt like he was looking straight at me.

"Ugh, he's so hot," Sophie sighed dramatically beside me. "You're so lucky you get to tutor him. I would kill for that kind of proximity."

I scoffed. "Yeah, real lucky. He's an arrogant pain in the ass."

Sophie smirked. "An attractive arrogant pain in the ass."

I rolled my eyes but didn't respond.

Before I could think too hard about it, the referee blew the whistle, and the game began.

It turned out, football was even more confusing than I thought. I knew nothing about it.

"Wait, why did they stop?" I asked Sophie after what felt like only a few seconds of action.

"Penalty," she said, stuffing popcorn into her mouth.

"A penalty for what? They barely did anything!"

She gave me a pitying look, like I was some kind of lost cause. "Ava, please. It's called football, not 'stand around and watch people jog in circles.' Pay attention."

I was paying attention ,just not to the game.

Logan was everywhere.

Every time he moved, the stadium seemed to react with him. He dodged tackles like it was second nature, throwing passes with laser precision, making it look effortless.

The crowd loved him. but I didn't

rule number one: stay away from jocks

And, I had to admit, there was something about the way he played fast, aggressive, completely in control that made it impossible to look away. it was captivating.

And then, in the middle of the second quarter, it happened.

Logan caught the ball and took off down the field, weaving through Crestmont players like they were nothing. The entire stadium was on its feet, screaming as he sprinted toward the end zone.

Then....BAM!!

A Crestmont guy slammed into him.

Hard.

My heart lurched as Logan's body hit the ground with a sickening thud.

The air in the stadium shifted, the excited cheers morphing into murmurs of concern.

I barely realized I was standing.

Sophie grabbed my arm. "Relax, Ava, he's fine. This happens all the time."

But something about the way he wasn't moving sent a prickle of unease down my spine.

Then, just as quickly as he'd gone down, Logan pushed himself up onto his elbows, shaking off the impact like it was nothing.

The crowd roared as he got back on his feet, flashing a grin as if he hadn't just been tackled into the ground.

I exhaled, slumping back into my seat.

"See?" Sophie nudged me. "You do care."

I scoffed. "I don't. I just...." I fumbled for an excuse. "I can't tutor a concussed football player. That's all."

Sophie didn't buy it.

And honestly? Neither did I.

By the time the game ended, Westbridge had won, and the entire stadium was in chaos. Students were celebrating, music was blasting, and people were already making plans to head to the after-party.

I, however, was ready to disappear.

I had done my part. I had shown up. Now, all I had to do was find Logan, remind him of our deal, and get out of here.

Pushing through the crowd, I made my way toward the locker rooms.

Just as I reached the entrance, the door swung open, and there he was.

Still in his gear, hair damp with sweat, Logan Carter looked every bit like the golden boy the school worshipped him as.

His eyes landed on me immediately, and that familiar smirk tugged at his lips.

"Well, well, well," he drawled, stepping closer. "Didn't think you'd actually show, nerd."

I crossed my arms. "I'm here. Now, about that job..."

"Relax," he said, running a hand through his hair. "A deal's a deal. I'll help you find something. But first...." His smirk deepened. "Did you have fun?"

I hesitated.

Lying would have been easy.

But instead, I found myself rolling my eyes and muttering, "It was... alright."

Logan chuckled, clearly amused. "That's the nicest thing you've ever said to me."

"Don't get used to it," I shot back.

He laughed, then nodded toward the parking lot. "Come on. Let's talk about that job."

And just like that, I found myself walking beside Logan Carter, wondering how the hell I'd let him pull me into his world.