Chapter 11. Starlit and Tense

“Tash, I—”

“I don’t wanna hear it, Fabs. I’m serious.”

“I’m not going to say what you think I want to, Tash. Just let me talk.”

Natasha looked unsure, but gave him the benefit of doubt.

“I got together with Cara for popularity in my freshman year. I was new to the school and this city, and she was the most popular freshman, so getting with her was my surest bet at the football team since her uncle oversaw the trials. I couldn’t stop her from falling in love with me though, and I couldn’t leave out of fear of breaking her heart. So I had to stay for two years and make her happy. It was a chore, and I was a million miles away from happiness, until you came along.”

She looked up, and saw a genuine smile on his face as soon as he mentioned her name.

“When you arrived, it felt like a fresh ray of sunshine had just entered my life, and I tried as hard as possible to ignore it so as to not upset Cara. Everything about you made me fall deeper in love, and