My Quarterback Neighbour: Chapter 2

Math Problems and Mixed Signals

A week later, I was sitting at my usual spot in the library when Ethan dropped into the chair across from me.

“You’re Jade, right?” he asked, flashing that megawatt smile.

I nodded, completely thrown. Why was the quarterback talking to me?

“I heard you’re good at math. I… need a tutor.”

I should’ve said no. I had enough going on with school and my part-time job, but the way he looked at me, like I was his only lifeline - made me cave.

Tutoring sessions started awkwardly. He wasn’t great at math, but he wasn’t dumb, either. He was distracted. One day, after a particularly frustrating session, I snapped.

“What’s your deal, Ethan? You’re clearly smart enough to get this, so why don’t you focus?”

He looked up, his jaw tightening. “You wouldn’t get it.”

“Try me.”

He hesitated, then sighed. “Football isn’t my dream. It’s my dad’s. But if I quit, I’ll lose everything, my scholarship, my friends, my reputation."

I didn’t know what to say. Here he was, the guy everyone wanted to be, admitting he hated the one thing that made him famous. But instead of feeling sorry for him, I felt something else: a pull. Like he was letting me into a world no one else got to see.

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