LEAH'S POV
"I left it on the bench near the warmup tent. I'll be right back."
That was a lie.
I didn't forget my phone; I just needed space, a moment to breathe.
The truth sat heavy in my chest, a weight I didn't want to name.
Avery kept asking about that girl like it was nothing, like some joke or harmless curiosity. Her words still echoed in my head: "You sure you're not into her?"
I kept playing along because what else was I supposed to do? Admit it?
Admit that, yeah, I'd been staring? That I noticed the way her hair slipped over her shoulder, the sharp line of her jaw, and the way her fingers tightened around her water bottle? That every time she flashed that wicked, knowing smirk, my stomach twisted in ways I couldn't explain?
No thanks.
God, I was so tired of pretending that question didn't hit me like a fist to the ribs.
