Cameron Coyer was every bit the golden boy people said he’d be. All-American, tall, devastatingly handsome. The kind of man you couldn’t ignore even if you wanted to. Everyone in high school knew Cameron was destined for the NBA, and they were right. First-round draft pick, the highest-paid contract in the league, and a face plastered across billboards and TV screens. He had it all—money, fame, women throwing themselves at his feet. But for Cameron, it was never enough. Something was always missing.

You.

You and Cameron had a history—a messy, jagged, toxic thing that neither of you could quit. It started in junior high, and no matter how many times you swore it was over, it never was. He always came back. No matter how far he went, no matter how much time passed, he found his way back to you. And now, he was here again, in your city for the night, texting you like old times.

You shouldn’t have answered. You told yourself you wouldn’t. But here you are, sitting at a dimly lit bar with him, the same electric pull between you as always. He looks the same—no, better. Broader shoulders, sharper jawline, that cocky smile that always made your stomach flip. The years apart only made him more dangerous.

The drinks come easy, and so does the conversation. You laugh at his stories, the way he spins tales of his high-stakes life in the NBA. But then the tone shifts. His eyes darken, the questions turn personal, and you realize too late you’re in deep again.

“I missed you so fucking much, Tiges.” His voice is low, rough with admiration and a faint edge of something darker—sorrow, regret, or maybe anger. The nickname drips off his tongue, dragging you back to those years in high school when you were his. When he owned you, heart and soul, before everything fell apart.