Joycelyn’s POV
Raven completely lost it:
“You’ll dodge me when Miss Valedictorian is around, but she’s not even here and you’re wanting like you’ve got some exclusive contract with her!”
She grabbed the sleeve of his letterman jacket, her voice echoing off the lab tables. “Oh my Got Nathan, don’t tell me you’ve actually fallen for that frigid know–it–all
Nathan’s jaw muscles flexed as he stepped back, knocking over a rack of beakers that clattered but
didn’t break.
“Wasn’t this your whole master plan?” he shot back. “This entire stupid ber?”
“If I hadn’t been playing the devoted boyfriend this whole time, how else would you have gotten your precious class rank back?”
“Now that you’ve got what you wanted, you’re flipping this on me?”
“I never asked you to become her puppy dog!” Raven clutched his jersey, almost tearing the Boulder Bulldogs emblem. “Where have you two been since graduation? The whole team’s been blowing up your phone! You missed Tyler’s lake house party and Coach’s barbecue! What the hell have you been doing with her? Just tell me!”
What had we been doing?
Discovering every square inch of the luxury cabin his parents kept in Estes Park. Learning which floorboards creaked under our weight and which surfaces could support two people. Testing if the hot tub jets really were as powerful as they looked.
I’d understood why Nathan had suddenly become so desperate for my company after graduation. Our time was running out, and I was happy to give him a proper goodbye.
But I’d seriously misjudged his recovery time. After my third attempt to call for a break resulted in him simply changing tactics, I had to fake a family emergency during his shower just to escape long enough to submit my final college applications.
12.27
Touchdown DE AV. Cheer Queen ve Chuarterback King
36.8%
Chapter 8
Otherwise, I wouldn’t have been frantically checking my test scores two weeks after graduation, racing against submission deadlines I’d nearly forgotten existed outside our private bubble.
Nathan couldn’t explain any of this, of course. He just leaned against the lab counter, staring at the floor, absently rolling an empty vape cartridge between his fingers.
Raven made a sound of pure frustration, her designer sneaker squeaking against the linoleum. She raised her hand like she might slap him, then instead grabbed his face between her palms and pressed her lips against his.
This time, he didn’t pull away.
I leaned against the doorframe, silently counting in my head.
Nathan had a very specific kissing routine.
He always started with a teasing gentleness, a playful exploration that made you feel both precious and desired. He’d work his way around the edges until your breath quickened, then suddenly deepen everything into something hungry and demanding. The way his hands would tighten just slightly when he finally gave in to what you both wanted–it was a signature as recognizable as his spiral pass on the football field.
The whole sequence took exactly two minutes.
My fingers tapped silently against my thigh, keeping perfect time.
Just as that telltale thread of connection appeared between their parting lips, I pushed the door fully
open.
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