Chapter 14: Courts, Chaos, and Confessions
The gymnasium was packed.
The bleachers vibrated with cheers, school banners flapping, sneakers squeaking, and the familiar smell of popcorn in the air.
It was the annual basketball showdown—the perfect stage for drama, chaos… and, apparently, Amy Rivers' latest attempt at sabotaging Lily Hart.
Amy had spent the week plotting a "spectacular public humiliation":
Step one: distract Noah during the game.
Step two: cause Lily to trip or spill something humiliating on herself.
Step three: watch Noah fume while Lily's image crumbled before everyone.
She grinned, confident. This will work.
Lily, meanwhile, was sitting at the front, cheering loudly for absolutely everyone… except Noah.
Except today, something inside her shifted.
When she saw Noah grab the ball, dodge a defender, and run across the court, her heart literally skipped.
She cheered.
"Go, Noah! You can do it!"
The gym went silent for half a second. Students turned. Teachers gawked. And Noah froze mid-dribble.
Lily was cheering… for him.
Amy gasped.
What?! How dare she…
She grabbed a water bottle from the sidelines, intending to dump it on Lily when Noah wasn't looking.
But fate had a sense of humor.
Noah intercepted the bottle midair, eyes blazing. "Amy! Back off!"
He flung it harmlessly aside, ignoring Amy completely.
Lily's heart skipped again. He… he's protecting me?
Amy sputtered. "He… he's ignoring me?!"
Back on the court, Noah's focus was laser-sharp. He moved faster, dodged defenders effortlessly, and passed with precision.
Every glance Lily gave, every cheer she shouted, sent adrenaline rushing through him.
This is it, he thought. I can't let her be humiliated—not ever.
And then it happened.
Amy, desperate, tried to run onto the court, intending to trip Lily as she leaned over the sidelines.
Noah didn't hesitate. He sprinted off the court, scooping Lily up in his arms like a hero in a cheesy romantic comedy.
"Get off me!" Amy shrieked, but Noah ignored her completely.
Standing in the middle of the gym, with everyone watching, he leaned down slightly, eyes locked on Lily's.
"You are my fiancée," he said, voice low but carrying across the gymnasium.
The entire crowd froze. Whispers exploded: fiancée?! Noah said fiancée?!
Lily blinked.
Her heart thudded in her chest.
The teasing.
The fights.
The grudges.
All of it… melted away.
For the first time, she realized something terrifying and thrilling:
I like him.
Not grudges. Not sarcasm. Not teasing.
Him. Just him.
She laughed softly, hiding it behind her hands, cheeks pink.
"Alright, hero," she said, finally, "you can put me down now."
Noah's hands didn't move. His eyes softened, almost painfully. "Not until I know you're safe."
She smirked lightly. "I'm fine. Thanks for… saving me, fiancée."
His jaw tightened. "Say it again?"
"I'm fine. And I like you," she said casually, shrugging. "You've… been driving me insane, but okay. You win."
The gym erupted in cheers. Students whipped out their phones, cameras flashing, and Amy… well, Amy slumped to the floor, mortified beyond recovery.
From that moment on, everything shifted:
Noah's obsession became open and undeniable.
Lily's grudges melted slowly, replaced with a mixture of amusement, warmth, and curiosity.
Amy's sabotage attempts? Completely neutralized by Noah's protective presence—and Lily's unstoppable confidence.
And as they walked off the court together, side by side, Lily realized:
She didn't have to fight him anymore.
She didn't have to play games.
She liked him.
She wanted him.
And somehow, against all her carefully laid plans… she might even be falling for him.