The sun blazed over the school field as students gathered for PT.
Niki tugged at her sleeves, heart racing—not from the heat, but from him.
James stood near the basketball court, spinning the ball effortlessly on his fingertips. His white T-shirt was already clinging to him slightly, hair messy from the wind. He looked like something out of a teenage dream.
Niki and Luke were sitting under the shade of a tree, cross-legged on the grass.
"You're not playing?" she asked him, trying to act casual.
"I have a twisted ankle," he replied dramatically. "A war injury. Tragic story."
Niki smiled, her heart softening. She liked Luke's company. It was easy. Safe.
But her eyes kept drifting back to James.
He was laughing with his teammates, doing warmups. She tried not to stare, but every movement, every smile—it pulled her in.
Then… it happened.
James turned. And looked directly toward her.
Her breath caught in her throat.
He was still for a second, ball held loosely at his side, lips parted like he wanted to say something from across the court.
Niki's cheeks burned.
Was he finally noticing her?
But before she could smile, Luke leaned back on his palms beside her, stretching—and James's eyes suddenly softened, a different kind of warmth flickering across his face.
Niki blinked.
Wait…
Was he… looking at Luke?
The thought sat heavy in her chest.
Before she could stop herself from overthinking it, one of James's teammates shouted,
"James! Let's go!"
James blinked, as if shaken out of a trance, and turned away without a second glance.
He jogged back onto the court like nothing happened.
No smile. No wave. No sign he'd seen her at all.
Niki stared at his retreating figure, the juice box in her hand slowly crumpling.
Her heart whispered something she wasn't ready to hear.
> "What if… he was never mine to begin with?"
[Chapter 3 ENDS]