Chapter 5 Breaking Point

Ethan's POV

If I had a dollar for every headline written about me, I could've already bought Tyler a car.

Cole Dominates the Court.

Ethan Cole Leads Hawks to Victory.

Campus Hero Does It Again.

Same words, different day. The kind of puff pieces you skim once and forget.

But this one?

This one's different.

Brilliant but Reckless: The Dual Edge of Ethan Cole.

Even now, the words keep replaying in my head.

The first time I saw her after it went live, I caught her in the gym. She was waiting near the bleachers with that notebook tucked under her arm like it was a shield.

Most people shrink when I walk in, give me the wide-eyed "that's him" look and shuffle out of the way. But Ava Reynolds didn't move. She looked me straight in the eye, like she was daring me to say something.

So I did.

I grabbed a stray copy of the paper one of the assistants left lying around, slapped it against my palm, and stopped right in front of her.

Brilliant but reckless," I read aloud, letting the words hang there.

"Catchy, isn't it?"

She blinked, a little startled, but didn't back down. Her chin lifted. "I wrote what I saw."

God help me, that almost made me smile.

Because most reporters would've stumbled over apologies or excuses, trying to smooth it over. She just... owned it.

"That so?" I leaned in slightly, enough that I could see the faint flush on her cheeks. "Well, Ava Reynolds... reckless looks pretty good on me."

Her mouth parted like she wanted to fire back, but no words came out.

I left her there, notebook clutched tighter to her chest, while my teammates hollered for me to join warm-ups.

And the whole time, walking across the court, I couldn't shake the thought:

She's not like the others.

By the time practice ends, though, the locker room is buzzing like it's Christmas morning. Marcus smacks the headline against my shoulder before I can even drop my bag.

"Hey, Captain Reckless!" he crows, waving the article like a banner.

Jordan piles on, drumming his fingers on the bench like he's reading a proclamation. "The Chronicle says Cole plays with brilliance and danger. Hide your children, hide your girlfriends."

The whole room cracks up.

I tug my hoodie over my head, pretending not to care, but it's useless. The guys circle like sharks scenting blood, each tossing their own spin on it.

"Don't trip, Reckless, the Chronicle might call it career suicide."

"Reckless for life!"

"Man's about to dunk his way into the ER."

"Alright, alright," I finally say, pushing past them. "You clowns done?"

But I'm grinning. I can't help it.

Because they think it's a joke. Just another headline to slap on the bulletin board.

But I know better.

Ava saw it. She put it in black and white for everyone else to see, but when she looked at me this afternoon, I swear she knew it meant more.

I duck out of the locker room faster than usual, phone buzzing with texts I ignore. The cool evening air outside feels like a relief, cutting through the leftover heat from practice.

The diner on Main Street is already lit up, neon buzzing faintly against the glass windows. Tyler's hunched in our usual booth, earbuds dangling around his neck, a burger half-gone in front of him.

"Hey," I say, sliding in.

"Hey," he answers, eyes flicking up for half a second before returning to his fries.

We eat quietly at first, the jukebox crooning in the corner. I let the silence stretch; Tyler's never been big on small talk. But eventually, he slides a folded copy of the Chronicle across the table.

"You saw it?" he asks.

"Yeah."

He nods, chewing thoughtfully, then says, "She nailed you."

I snort. "Glad my own brother thinks I'm reckless."

"You are." His tone is so flat, so matter-of-fact, I almost choke on my soda.

"Supposed to be on my side, Ty."

"I am. Doesn't mean I'm blind." He shrugs. "You push too hard sometimes. You don't stop even when you should. Maybe she's the only one honest enough to write it."

I can't decide if I want to argue or laugh.

Because damn it, he's right.

He's always been sharper than people give him credit for. Smarter. Older, somehow, than his sixteen years. That happens when life doesn't give you the luxury of being a kid.

I reach across the table, ruffling his hair just to break the heaviness. "Eat your fries. Journalism's not your career path."

He bats my hand away, smirking, but his eyes linger on me for a second too long.

Like he's still waiting for me to admit it.

Later, when the apartment is quiet and Tyler's door is shut, I sit at the kitchen table with the Chronicle spread out in front of me.

I read Ava's words again. And again.

She didn't call me invincible. She didn't write the usual fluff piece. She stripped the gloss right off and showed the cracks beneath.

And instead of hating her for it, I feel... exposed.

Because she's not wrong.

The knee that throbs at night. The pressure that gnaws at me every day. The fear that one wrong move could ruin everything-for me, for Tyler.

She doesn't know that part. Not yet. But the way she looks at me, like she sees past the shine, makes me wonder how long I can keep those secrets buried.

I press a hand to my face, dragging it down slowly.

I can't afford this. Can't afford her.

And yet-when she looked at me in the gym today, unflinching, almost challenging-something shifted.

For the first time in a long time, I wonder if my mask is slipping.

And if Ava Reynolds is the one holding the hammer.