TRENT'S POV"Ella!" Someone shouted from behind me. I whipped around quickly, my heart leaping with the thought that it was her. But it was just one of the players from the opposing Rogers team, cupping his hands around his mouth as a girl came running over."Elva!" He grinned as she flung her arms around him in a tight embrace. Of course it wasn't Ella - just my mind playing tricks again.The guy smoothed his hands over her back as they swayed together. "Wish me luck, babe," he murmured against her hair.She pulled back with a smile. "How about I give you a little luck charm instead?"Before he could respond, she looped her arms around his neck and pulled his mouth down to hers in a kiss. I felt my jaw clench as I quickly averted my gaze, trying to ignore the uncomfortable pang in my chest. Why did her name have to be everywhere, taunting me? Arghh, I raked my hands over my hair in frustration.A sharp blast of the whistle shattered my thoughts. The players began lining up on the
ELLA'S POV"So..." Mom drawled, eyeing me over the rim of her wine glass. "Did you like him?"I set down my fork with a clatter on the iron plate. "Why would you expect me to like someone you just ambushed me with on a blind date?""Oh Please, Ryan is such a catch. He'll treat you so much better than that asshole Damien ever did," she stated.Rolling my eyes, I shook my head. "I don't care about any of that. My feelings for Damien are in the past.""Well, he's also very romantic," Mom continued. "You can't deny the setting that day was incredibly romantic."I couldn't stop the snort of laughter that escaped. "I really don't care about how 'romantic' he is, Mom."She stared at me before a sly smile stretched her lips. "Well, what if I told you he's the son of the owner of that fancy restaurant you two dined at tonight?"I paused, brow furrowing slightly as her words sank in. "Wait...what did you just say?""You heard me," Mom said, taking another sip of her wine. "Ryan's father is the
TRENT'S POV"Alright guys, bring it in!" Coach's voice rang out sharply.We all quickly assembled around him in a tight circle, our sneakers squeaking against the hardwood court. "Listen up," he said, "This is it. The final game to decide this whole tournament is here."He jabbed a finger at my chest. "And we wouldn't have made it this far without Trent being captain."An applause broke out from the guys as they reached over to pound me on the back. My gaze slid over to where Damien's friends were clustered, their arms firmly crossed with scowls on their faces.I smirked lazily in their direction. "What's the matter, fellas? Too choked up with pride for your new captain to join in?"Marcus's jaw tightened as he opened his mouth, but Coach cut him off with a furious look."Save it for after the game," he growled. "Because if you idiots cost us this championship, you'll be removed from the team..." Marcus and the others exchanged sullen looks before finally bringing their hands togeth
ELLA'S POVThe classroom fell silent as Mrs. Johnson, our history teacher, cleared her throat. All eyes turned expectantly towards the front."Class, I'd like to introduce our newest student," she began, shooting a warm smile at the tall, athletic figure standing beside her desk.My heart skipped a beat as Ryan swept his gaze over the room. Our eyes met briefly and he flashed me a grin before turning his attention back to Mrs. Johnson.She seemed to be drinking in Ryan's appearance, her eyes roving over his frame in a way that made me supremely uncomfortable. Get it together, Mrs. J!"This is Ryan Matthews," she continued, clearing her throat again. "He'll be joining us for the remainder of the semester."Ryan stepped forward then, absently running a hand through his tousled curls as he positioned himself front and center. "Hey everyone. I'm Ryan, and I'd be joining your class from now on."His gaze swept over the whispering girls, a lazy smirk playing about his lips. "I look forwar
ELLA'S POV"Such a bitch," one of Amelia's girls spat, her voice cutting straight through me.I raised my head slowly and Trent's gaze met mine. I searched for a look of support- of understanding, but his expression was utterly unreadable before he finally looked away. A knot formed in my throat as humiliation burned through me.My legs suddenly felt like jelly, threatening to give way beneath me. I had to get out of there. Now.Pushing back from my desk, I half-stumbled, half-ran towards the classroom door on wobbly legs. As soon as I burst through into the hallway, a firm hand gripped my arm, pulling me up short."Trent, you really don't have to—" I whirled around, the plea dying on my lips when I found myself staring into Ryan's concerned eyes instead of Trent's."Why are you following me?" I demanded, trying to tug my arm free from his grasp. "We just met each other for Christ's sake. You can't possibly care what's going on."Ryan's brow furrowed as he held firm. "I don't get you,
TRENT'S POVWHAT!!The post hit me to the gut, rubbing me of my breath. What the hell? Could this be some sick joke? I whipped my head towards Damien, eyes narrowing as realization began to set in.Damien was the one who had initially shown me the picture of Ella and the guy. But he couldn't possibly be stupid enough to actually post and spread it publicly like this...right? As much of an asshole as Damien could be, I trusted that he would never want Ella's image dragged through the mud to this extent.Slowly, my gaze shifted over to where Ella sat frozen. My heart clenched painfully at the look of despair on her face. She appeared hollow, all the light drained from her eyes. In that moment, every instinct screamed at me to surge forward, to wrap her up in my arms and shield her from the judgmental stares and whispers surrounding us. But just as quickly, the image of the guy cupping her cheek flashed across my mind's eye, causing doubt to surge through me. Why did they seem so close
ELLA'S POV"I know what you're thinking," Ryan said, cutting through my thoughts as we walked down the street together.I glanced over at him. "What's that?""You're probably wondering if what I said about falling for you is actually true," he stated. "I did that to save you from the mess."I felt my cheeks warm slightly but held his gaze. "The thought had crossed my mind, yes. But either way, I'm grateful you stepped in to help me like that."Ryan waved a dismissive hand. "Anyway, enough about that. We've got more important things to focus on now - like you starting your new job."I blinked at the abrupt subject change. "You're really going to hold me to that, huh?""Why not?" He grinned. "It'll be the perfect distraction from all the drama. Plus, I'm curious to see this other side of the mysterious Ella."I rolled my eyes as we made our way to the restaurant's entrance. Taking a deep, steadying breath, I pulled open the door and we stepped inside.Instantly, the clattering sounds an
ELLA'S POVTrent's gaze remained fixed on me as the tension-thick silence stretched between us. Finally, he spoke in a low tone."I followed you here." His stare drifted down to my uniform dress, raking over me slowly before returning to my face. "Don't tell me you actually work at this place now?"I bristled slightly at his tone but met his stare. "Yes, I do work here. Is that a problem?"He simply stared at me, seeming to weigh his response. Then he gave a slight shake of his head. "No, no problem. It's just...I need to talk to you, Ella. Privately.""Well, you can put that on hold," Ryan's voice rang out as he joined us, positioning himself half in front of me shielding me from Trent. "Ella's in the middle of training with me right now. Official business."Trent's jaw tightened before he reached into his back pocket and slapped some bills down on a nearby table with a loud smack. "Fine, then I'll order the wagyu steak - premium cut, aged thirty days. And a bottle of your finest cab