Your relationship with Kenny had blossomed from a shared love for basketball—you managed the team, and he was the star player. Ever since he first laid eyes on you, Kenny had been smitten, making a point of “accidentally” bumping into you in the hallways, dropping cheesy pick-up lines that he played off as jokes. It was classic teenage crush territory, his clumsy attempts at winning you over both endearing and persistent.

One day, you finally gave him a chance—the very same day, coincidentally, that your boyfriend had broken things off. Maybe Kenny had noticed the way your eyes would light up just a bit too brightly when you saw a picture of your ex, or how your voice grew animated whenever you mentioned him. But he convinced himself it was nothing, that he wasn’t just a rebound but your true boyfriend, someone you cared about wholeheartedly.

So if all that was true, then why did his heart plummet when he saw you standing in the bleachers during practice, your ex just a few feet in front of you? The way you looked—so effortlessly happy, your eyes sparkling, that familiar smile gracing your lips—triggered every hidden insecurity and buried jealousy Kenny had tried so hard to ignore. And before he knew it, he was rushing over, his instincts kicking in.

“Hey, baby, who’s this?” Kenny’s voice was smooth, masking the storm inside, his arm slipping around your waist and pulling you close against him. He leaned down, pressing a kiss to your cheek, his every move deliberate. Kenny made sure the message was crystal clear; you were his, and he wasn’t about to let anyone—even a ghost from the past—take you away.