6

Allie I was still buried under the blankets in Mia’s guest room, staring at the ceiling like it held answers. Anger simmered in my chest, hot and constant. Logan. That selfish, lying bastard. Two days after his livestream, the damage kept spreading. My inbox was full of accusations, brands ghosting me, and strangers calling me a controlling abuser. Every time I closed my eyes, I saw him in that bed, heard his voice twisting our entire relationship into something ugly. How dare he? After everything I gave him? My phone started buzzing on the nightstand. Notifications lighting up like fireworks. I groaned, pulling the pillow over my face. Not again. Was Logan doing another livestream? More lies? More ways to paint me as the villain while he played the wounded hero? With a heavy heart, I grabbed the phone and opened i********:. The app loaded, and my feed flooded with tags, reposts, and trending audio. But it wasn’t Logan this time. It was Chase Ryder. His story was pinned at the top, bold and unapologetic. A quick video of him in his practice jersey, looking straight into the camera with those sharp gray eyes. “Saw the news. Logan’s version doesn’t add up. Allie Harper is one of the real ones—kind, loyal, genuine. She deserves better than public betrayal. Support her, not the spin.” Below it, another post: an old clip from a charity event where I’d handled most of the behind-the-scenes work. Caption: “Actions over words.” I sat up fast, heart slamming against my ribs. What the f**k? Chase? Supporting me? Why? We hated each other. Or at least… I thought we did. I’d spent years hearing Logan rant about him—the arrogant rival, the one who always came out on top, the cocky bastard who loved reminding everyone he was number one. I’d adjusted my hate accordingly, rolling my eyes at every interview, every smirk. It was easier that way. Loyal. On Logan’s side. But now? Chase was publicly backing me. The post was already trending, thousands of likes and shares pouring in. The comments were wild. Chase defending Allie?! Rivalry just got interesting.
Shipping them so hard right now. #ChaseAllie
Wait… did she cheat on Logan with Chase? That hallway video tho 
Finally someone saying what we were all thinking. Logan’s full of it. Some were supportive. Others twisted it into drama, wondering if I’d been sneaking around with Chase the whole time. The hate comments about me were still there, but they were getting drowned out by new chatter. Chase’s massive following had shifted the tide, even if just a little. My cheeks burned. Why would he do this? That day in the hallway, he’d been mocking me. Smirking like he knew something I didn’t. “Second place looks good on him.” Now he was calling me kind? Loyal? Genuine? It didn’t make sense. A FaceTime call from Mia popped up. I answered, still dazed. “Girl!” she squealed the second her face appeared. She was in her kitchen, grinning like she’d won the lottery. “Are you seeing this? Chase Ryder just went to war for you! On main!” “I… yeah. I just saw.” My voice came out shaky. “Why? We don’t even know each other. Not really.” Mia laughed, fanning herself dramatically. “Maybe he’s wanted to know you. Did you see the way he looked at you in that hallway clip? Whew. And now this? He’s calling you ‘one of the real ones.’ That man is fine, successful, and he just publicly dragged Logan. I’m here for it.” “Stop,” I muttered, but a tiny spark flickered in my chest. Not excitement. Not yet. Just… surprise. Confusion. Chase was everything Logan resented—talented, confident, always in control. The enemy. Yet here he was, stepping in when Logan was busy burying me. “People are shipping you two already,” Mia teased, holding up her phone to show the trending hashtag. “#ChaseAllie is climbing. Some are saying you must’ve been talking to him behind Logan’s back. Drama gold.” I rubbed my temples. “Great. Now I’m the cheater too? This is a mess.” “But a hot mess,” she shot back, still grinning. “Come on, Allie. Logan tried to destroy you. Chase just gave you armor. At least let yourself feel a little vindicated. You deserve someone in your corner.” We talked a few more minutes—Mia hyping me up, sending me screenshots of positive comments, teasing about how Chase’s tattoos and intense stare would look good next to my smile. I ended the call laughing despite everything, but the second the screen went dark, the questions rushed back. Why Chase? Was this some twisted game in their rivalry? Using me to hurt Logan more? Or… something else? My thumb hovered over his profile. The notifications kept coming—more tags, more speculation. And then, at the top of my DM requests, a new message preview flashed. Chase Ryder sent you a message. My breath caught. The little unread dot taunted me. I stared at it, pulse racing, anger at Logan still burning but now mixed with something warmer. Curious. Dangerous. I didn’t open it. Not yet. But I couldn’t look away either.