The ball soared through the air, the entire gym holding its breath.
Lena felt her pulse pounding in her ears, her fingers gripping the edge of her seat. The crowd was frozen in anticipation, eyes locked on the spinning ball as it arced toward the basket.
Thenâ
Swish.
The net snapped as the ball fell clean through. For half a second, there was silence, a stunned disbelief lingering through the gym.
Then, chaos.
The buzzer echoed, signaling the end of the game. The crowd erupted into deafening cheers, students and fans leaping to their feet. Jaxon barely had time to register what happened before his teammates swarmed him, shoving him, hugging him, and screaming in excitement.
"Holy shit, you did it!" Ethan clapped him on the back, grinning ear to ear. "That was insane!"
Jaxon was breathing hard, adrenaline surging through his veins. He had done it. They had done it.
Across the court, North Ridge's team looked stunned but not angry. Miles was grinning, shaking his head as he mouthed, Respect.
---
As the celebration roared around him, Jaxon's eyes searched the stands. And then he saw herâ
Lena.
She was beaming, eyes wide with excitement, hands pressed over her mouth in disbelief. The moment their gazes met, something inside Jaxon shifted. The noise faded, and the celebration blurred. He barely thoughtâhis legs were already moving.
Lena was still standing in stunned shock when Jaxon closed the distance between them.
"You did it!" she breathed, the thrill still in her voice.
Jaxon, still buzzing from the moment, grinned down at her. "We did it.."
Before he could second-guess himself, he grabbed her by the waist and lifted her off the ground.
Lena let out a breathless laugh, her hands instinctively going to his shoulders as he spun her once before setting her down. The second her feet touched the ground, she leaned in and kissed him.
It wasn't planned, wasn't thought throughâit was just raw emotion, excitement, and the kind of overwhelming relief that only came after holding on too tight for too long. And this time, the crowd definitely noticed.
A ripple of gasps and excited shouts spread through the gym as people registered what was happening. There was no more speculation, no more whispersâthis was real. Jaxon Walker and Lena Carter were together, and there was no hiding it now.
Cheers and teasing whistles rang out, but Jaxon barely heard them. His entire focus was on Lena, on the way her fingers curled against the fabric of his jersey, the way she looked at him like she was finally letting herself believe in this.
When they finally pulled back, Jaxon brushed his thumb across her cheek, his voice lower now. "You have no idea how long I've wanted to do that."
Lena laughed, her forehead resting against his for a second before a voice shattered the moment.
"Walker!"
Jaxon turned his head just in time to see his father pushing through the crowd, his expression unreadable.
The euphoria of the win evaporated.
---
Jaxon barely had time to prepare before his father reached him, but instead of his usual disapproving glare, there was something else in his expressionâsomething Jaxon had rarely seen before.
Pride.
"That was an incredible shot," his dad said, nodding. "You played smart, kept your composure, and took control of the game when it mattered most."
Jaxon blinked, unsure if he had heard correctly. "Thanks... Dad."
His father exhaled, glancing around at the cheering crowd. "This is what I always knew you were capable of. You proved it tonight."
Ethan looked just as shocked as Jaxon, his eyebrows raised. "Wow. Did hell just freeze over?"
Their father shot him a look, but there was no real heat behind it. "Don't push it."
Lena squeezed Jaxon's hand, and for the first time in a long time, Jaxon didn't feel like he had to chase his father's approval.
Tonight, he had earned it.
---
As they made their way off the court, a loud crash echoed through the gym.
The gym went quiet as heads turned toward the locker room entrance.
Ryan.
His fist was clenched, his face red, his entire body radiating anger.
Jaxon's shoulders tensed. "Oh, great."
Ryan stormed forward, pushing past students, his furious gaze locked on Jaxon. "You think this is funny? You think humiliating me is some kind of game?"
Jaxon raised an eyebrow, stepping forward slightly. "Pretty sure that's exactly what basketball is. A game."
Ryan's fists clenched tighter. "You're gonna regret this."
"I regret a lot of things," Jaxon said coolly. "But putting you in your place isn't one of them."
Ryan's fists clenched, his entire body coiled like he was ready to swing. But before he could, Coach Marshall's voice boomed over the gym.
"PORTER! OUT! NOW!"
Ryan barely hesitated before storming off, shoving a chair out of his way as he disappeared down the tunnel.
The gym stayed silent for a beat before Ethan let out a slow whistle. "I guess some people really don't like sitting on the bench."
Jaxon shook his head, exhaling. "He'll come for me again."
Lena squeezed his hand. "Then he'll have to go through all of us."
For the first time that night, Jaxon let himself believe it.
They had wonâon and off the court.