The bell rang, signaling the end of first period.
Jax and Jordan quickly gathered their things, shooting Liana a small smile before heading out. "Practice," Jax said casually. "We'll see you later, sis."
"Yeah," Jordan added, ruffling her hair gently. "Don't let Mallory get to you."
Liana forced a smile, feeling the weight of the empty classroom settle on her as they left. Her chest tightened. She hated being left alone, but hated even more the way her heart skipped when Ryder lingered beside her.
"Don't worry, Hart," he said, sliding past her to the door, smirk never leaving his face. "I'll keep an eye on things."
She swallowed hard, unsure if his words were reassurance or a warning. Ryder never let anyone bully her—except him—but being on the receiving end of his attention made her stomach twist in ways she didn't understand.
As soon as she looked away, Ryder's dark eyes followed her until she disappeared into the hallway. Then, with a sigh, he made his way to the locker room for football practice, shutting the door behind him.
---
Ryder's POV:
The locker room smelled of sweat, turf, and adrenaline. He leaned against his locker, peeling off his jersey, trying to focus on practice. But his mind wandered… as it always did.
He opened his locker and froze for a second.
There it was.
A small, slightly crumpled photo of Liana tucked behind his gear. He had taken it at school a few days ago—she didn't know. She never would.
The picture caught her mid-laugh, hair falling perfectly around her face, eyes sparkling, cheeks flushed. Her curvy body—her hips, thighs, even her soft stomach—was impossible to ignore. She was fat, yes. But damn it… she was beautiful. Sexy.
No one could see this side of him. No one knew how much he noticed her, how much he studied her, how much he wanted to—he shook his head. Ryder hated that he thought about her like this.
"Get it together, man," he muttered under his breath. "She's just… Liana Hart. Triplets' sister. Fat. Your game. Nothing else."
But the truth gnawed at him. He teased her, bullied her in front of everyone, and yet… she haunted him. Every time he saw her laugh, every time she blushed at something he said, he wanted to pull her closer—or maybe never let her go.
He shoved the photo deeper into the locker, covering it with his uniform. No one could ever know. Not Jax. Not Jordan. Not anyone.
Practice started in five minutes, and he could hear the other players yelling in the hall. He pulled on his cleats, trying to bury thoughts of Liana under adrenaline and football.
But deep down… he knew he'd be thinking about her the entire time.
And maybe… he didn't want to stop.