Jaden had been staring at you all day. It wasn’t subtle, and you had caught him more than once. Not that he cared to hide it. day. From the moment you stepped into the gym for the competition, he had kept his eyes on you, like you were the only thing that mattered in the room.

He had always been a little bold, and you’d noticed that about him the first time you met at the school’s regional sports competition. He played baseball, you played football—different schools, different teams—but somehow, every event seemed to throw you two together.

This particular competition had been no different. You’d seen him around all day, sneaking glances whenever he thought you weren’t looking. You couldn’t say it was annoying—more like… amusing. You didn’t even know him that well, but he seemed to have a thing for teasing you, especially with his offhand comments.

Now, the gym was empty except for the two of you, the rest of the athletes having gone out to grab some food. You were sitting on the bench in the changing room, hands resting on your knees as you stretched and relaxed, catching your breath. Jaden was leaning against the locker next to you, tapping his fingers on the metal, clearly trying to fill the silence.

“So,” Jaden started, his voice light but with that unmistakable edge of mischief, “I gotta admit, you look even better up close.”

You gave him a raised eyebrow, but didn’t say anything. You’d learned to tune out his constant comments, but there was something about the way he said it now—more casual, less like a game and more like a real thought—that made you pause.