Chapter 6

• The ride home with Andre was quiet. After everything, after the strange connection we’d built over pizza and questions, it was like neither of us knew what to say. The hum of the motorbike filled the silence, the cool night air rushing past as I held onto the back of his jacket. But the silence wasn’t uncomfortable. If anything, it felt oddly natural.
• When we finally reached my house, I swung my leg off the motorbike and took a step back. "Well, thanks for the ride home."
• Andre shoved his hands into his pockets, rocking back slightly on his heels. “No problem.”
• There was a pause. I wasn’t sure if I should just go inside or say something else. The night air wrapped around us, thick with something unspoken. His motorbike still rumbled softly behind him, its engine cooling in the quiet.
• “Hey.”
• I looked up at him.
• “You should come to my practice tomorrow.”
• I blinked. “Your practice?”
• “Yeah,” he said, as if it were obvious. “Football. You know, the sport I play?”
• I rolled my eyes. “I know that. I just—” I hesitated. “Shouldn’t you be focusing on the playoffs? It’s kind of a big deal.”
• He smirked. “So you do keep up.”
• I huffed. “Everyone knows about the playoffs, Andre. You’re the captain and quarterback. It’s all anyone talks about.”
• “Then you should come watch,” he said simply. “See what all the fuss is about.”
• I hesitated. “I’ll check.”
• He tilted his head slightly, as if studying me. The space between us felt smaller in the dim porch light, shadows stretching around us like a secret.
• Then, just as I turned to go inside, I heard it.
• “Goodnight, princess.”
• It was soft, barely more than a whisper, like a confession meant for the night alone. I wasn’t sure I was even meant to hear it.
• I ignored the way my stomach flipped, the warmth curling in my chest. Instead, I opened the door and stepped inside, shutting it gently behind me, pretending I hadn’t heard a thing.
• The next day started like any other. I met up with Isabelle before class, and we walked together, chatting about nothing in particular. It was easy, normal. Just the way I wanted it to be.
• But normal never lasted long.
• On the way to grab Lunch in the cafeteria, Isabelle and I had just grabbed our trays and were heading to our usual spot in the cafeteria when a group of cheerleaders stepped in front of us, blocking our path.
• I knew trouble when I saw it.
• “Hey, new girl,” the one in the center drawled, crossing her arms. She was tall, blonde, and every bit the textbook queen bee. I recognized her instantly—Madison Sinclair. Captain of the cheer squad. And, more importantly, one of Andre’s biggest admirers.
• I sighed internally. Of course.
• “What do you want, Madison?” Isabelle asked, her voice sharp.
• Madison barely spared her a glance. “This isn’t about you.” Her eyes locked onto me, a sickly sweet smile curling her lips. “I just wanted to have a little chat with your friend here.”
• I tightened my grip on my tray. “I’m not interested in whatever this is.”
• “Oh, but you should be,” she cooed. “See, there’s been a little… misunderstanding.”
• I didn’t respond, so she took a step closer. “You see, Andre is kind of… spoken for.”
• I raised a brow. “Spoken for?”
• She shrugged. “Call it what you want, but he belongs with us. Not with some random nobody who doesn’t know her place.”
• My jaw tightened. “I’m not—”
• Madison reached out, knocking my tray from my hands. It clattered to the floor, food spilling everywhere. The cafeteria went silent.
• Isabelle stepped forward instantly. “Are you serious?”
• Madison ignored her, tilting her head at me. “Oops.”
• I took a deep breath, forcing myself to stay calm. I wasn’t about to give her the reaction she wanted.
• But before I could respond, a new voice cut through the tension.
• “What the hell is going on?”
• Andre.
• I turned, and sure enough, there he was. Standing just a few feet away, arms crossed, expression dark. The cafeteria, already silent, seemed to shrink around him.
• Madison’s demeanor shifted instantly. “Andre,” she purred, flipping her hair. “We were just—”
• “Leave,” he said, his voice low and cold.
• Her eyes widened slightly. “But—”
• “Now.”
• For a moment, she looked like she wanted to argue. But then she glanced at his expression, and whatever she saw made her rethink it. With a forced laugh, she took a step back. “Fine. But don’t say I didn’t warn you.”
• She shot me one last glare before turning on her heel and sauntering away, her group following closely behind.
• The cafeteria buzzed with whispers.
• Andre sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. Then, he looked at me. “You okay?”
• I nodded. “Yeah. It’s fine.”
• His jaw clenched. “It’s not fine.”
• I didn’t know what to say to that. So I just bent down to pick up my tray. Before I could, Andre was already crouching beside me, helping gather the mess.
• “Why do you care?” I asked quietly.
• He didn’t answer right away. But when he did, his voice was softer than I expected.
• “Because I do.”
• And for some reason, that scared me more than Madison ever could.