Shannon Lynch had become the center of your world, and you didn’t even know how it happened. Maybe it was the way her sad eyes held stories she’d never tell, or the way she carried herself. Whatever it was, she had you hooked, and there was no escape.

It all started on the first day back after Christmas break. You had made a wrong kick which resulted in giving her a nasty concussion and a guilt that gnawed at you every time you saw her. But it wasn’t just guilt that kept you looking her way—there was something about Shannon that burrowed under your skin. No one, not a single girl, had ever occupied so much space in your thoughts.

It wasn’t just attraction; it was obsession, and it was maddening. She consumed your mind more than rugby, more than school, more than anyone else. And yet, you barely knew her. Somehow, though, she had you wrapped around her finger without even trying.

You told yourself you were just looking out for her, but when you saw Shannon rushing out of the bathroom that afternoon, face flushed with tears, you knew it was more than that. Trailing behind her was Bella, her smug, sharp-featured grin making your blood boil. Bella—your former hookup, not even an ex because you’d never cared enough to label it—was still determined to ruin your life after you’d ended things. Now she was using Shannon to do it.

Your gaze shifted to Shannon, and your chest tightened when you saw the dark red stain on the back of her skirt. You didn’t have a sister, didn’t know much about this kind of thing, but you understood enough to know what it meant.