9

Enjoy :)

I trudged to my class — we were continuing our group projects. Keefe and I were up to the second part. Trust.

The day went by quickly.

"Can you finish cleaning?" Keefe asked. "I need to head back quickly. I've got my first footy game."

"Of course, I'll be there," I said, giving him a quick kiss on the cheek.

As I came out of the classroom — just like I'd predicted the night before — Fitz cornered me, his eyes blazing with frustration. "What the hell, Sophie? You and Keefe?!" he practically shouted. "I'm way better than him, you know that. All the things we did together — come on!"

I took a deep breath, trying to stay calm despite the storm of emotions swirling inside me.

"Fitz, it's not about being better or worse," I said firmly. "It's about what makes me happy."

His jaw clenched, but something flickered in his eyes — maybe regret, maybe understanding.

"How'd you even find out?" I asked. Fitz's voice dropped to a harsh whisper. "Biana told me."

I silently cursed Biana under my breath, already planning to give her a piece of my mind when I saw her next. I looked away, feeling a mix of frustration and helplessness.

I wasn't in the mood to fight, but if Fitz kept pushing, I wasn't about to let him walk all over me either.

"I didn't mean for you to find out like this," I said finally, my voice low. "But I'm not going to apologize for being with someone who actually sees me."

Fitz scoffed. "You really think Keefe gets you? That he won't just bail when it's convenient?"

I clenched my jaw. "Don't talk about him like that. He's your friend."

He looked like he wanted to say more, but I'd had enough. I stepped past him.

"Fitz, whatever we had — it's over. You made sure of that. I've moved on. You should too."

I didn't look back as I walked away. My hands were still shaking, but my chest felt lighter. It was messy. It was uncomfortable. But I'd finally said what I needed to.

And now, I needed to find Biana.

I stormed into our dorm room, slamming the door behind me. Biana jumped, halfway through curling her hair, the curler still hot in her hand.

Sophie's POV

"Whoa! You okay?"

I folded my arms, trying not to explode. "You told him."

Biana blinked. "Told who what?"

"Don't play dumb," I snapped. "Fitz. You told him about me and Keefe."

Her mouth opened, then closed again. "I—okay, yeah. But I didn't mean to! It kind of... slipped out when he asked why you'd been avoiding him."

I stared at her, heart pounding. "You knew how he'd react, Bi."

"I thought maybe he already knew!" she defended, setting the curler down. "He's your ex and Keefe's his roommate — I figured it would come out anyway."

I sighed and sat on the edge of my bed, burying my face in my hands. "He cornered me after class. Said he's better than Keefe. That everything we did together meant more."

Biana came over, sitting beside me. "I'm so sorry, Soph. I didn't want it to go like that. I really didn't."

I looked up at her, eyes tired. "I just wanted to figure this out on my own. With Keefe. Quietly. Without the drama."

Biana placed a hand on my knee. "You still can. Don't let Fitz drag you back into the past. You've got something new, and it matters."

I nodded slowly. "Yeah... it does."

Keefe's POV

I was mid-way through pulling my footy socks on when the dorm door burst open so hard it banged against the wall.

Fitz stormed in.

I froze, one boot still untied, sweat towel draped over my shoulder. "Whoa — dude?"

His eyes were wild, fists clenched tight. "You. And Sophie."

I blinked. "What?"

"Don't play dumb," he spat, stepping further into the room. "You're with her."

I stood, dropping the boot and towel. My heart started hammering. "Fitz—"

He cut me off, voice low and furious. "All this time? Behind my back?"

"We weren't hiding it," I said, trying to stay calm. "It just... wasn't something we were ready to say out loud."

He scoffed — bitter, sharp. "She was my girlfriend, Keefe."

"You broke up. Months ago. You hurt her, Fitz. You don't get to be mad that she moved on."

His jaw clenched so hard I could hear it crack. "With you? My best friend?"

I didn't flinch. "I didn't plan it. But it happened. And I care about her — a lot."

Silence stretched between us, heavy and ready to break like a bone.

Fitz stared at me for a beat longer, then shook his head. "She's gonna regret it."

Then he turned and slammed the door on his way out.

I stood there, breath caught somewhere in my throat. My chest was tight, but my decision was clear.

I wasn't walking away from Sophie. Even if it meant losing him.

Sophie's POV

"Oh crap!" I jumped up from the couch, nearly tripping over my own shoes. "Look at the time — I promised Keefe I'd watch his game!"

Biana looked up from her mirror, mid-eyeliner flick. "You better run. You know he's gonna be looking for you in the crowd."

I grabbed my hoodie and shoved my phone into my pocket. "I better go now if I want to catch him before it starts."

"I'm coming too!" Biana grinned, standing up and smoothing her shirt. "Tam's gonna be there."

Of course he was.

We bolted down the hall, giggling as we raced out of the building and toward the uni's sports field.

The bleachers were already starting to fill up, and as we arrived breathless, I scanned the grass until I spotted them — Keefe, Fitz, and Tam, all in their footy uniforms, huddled with the rest of their team, deep in some last-minute plan.

Keefe glanced up and spotted me. His face lit up.

Sophie's POV

I stared at the scoreboard, barely blinking.

Twelve seconds. We were down by two. Keefe had the ball.

The whole field was on edge, the air buzzing with a pressure that made it hard to breathe. I gripped the edge of the bleacher seat with both hands, heart racing so loud I could hardly hear the crowd anymore.

"Come on, Keefe," I whispered.

He sprinted forward, dodging defenders, the ball bouncing perfectly under his control. Fitz passed him one last time — a clean, sharp move — and Keefe took off like the game depended on him.

Because it did.

Ten seconds.

He weaved through two more players.

Eight.

I could barely breathe.

Five.

He planted his foot.

Four.

He kicked.

The ball soared — clean, fast, curving beautifully — and for one perfect second, the whole stadium held its breath.