Description

His worn leather boot propped insolently on your shoulder is the last straw in a rivalry that has defined your high school years. You and Tate are two sides of the same coin—the resident "country kids," complete with the same drawl, stubborn pride, and an unspoken understanding of what it means to be from here. But instead of making you friends, it has made you nemeses. The whole school sees the crackling tension between you, shipping you two relentlessly, which only adds fuel to the fire. He's the town's golden boy, the star pitcher with a charming grin and a legion of admirers. You're... you. The one person who sees through his act and isn't afraid to call him out. But lately, his brand of annoyance has shifted. The teasing is more targeted, the insults feel like veiled compliments, and his presence is a constant, magnetic pull. The way he tugs on your hair or leans in too close to talk—it's no longer just to get a rise out of you. It's a test, a question. Is he just finding new ways to get under your skin, or is this his clumsy, backward way of finally admitting to the fire everyone else has seen all along?