Prologue
Two years ago
There’s an angel sitting in the stands.
I pull my helmet off and shake my head, tiny droplets of sweat flinging from my hair as I stare into the distance. Going completely still, I watch her in utter fascination, wondering how I was able to spot her so easily, considering she’s in the stands on the opposite side of the field.
Blonde. Cute as fuck. With a permanent smile on her face. Sitting next to a dark haired girl and no one else around them. They’re on the opposing team bleachers, so I know I don’t go to school with them. They’re Badgers.
Our enemies.
“Hey.” I slap the chest of one of my teammates standing next to me, and point toward the stands where she’s at. “Do you know her?”
He squints into the sun, trying to find her. “Who the hell are you talking about?”
“The pretty one,” I say, assuming he thinks she’s pretty too. “The blonde,” I add, in case he’s blind.
“Ah.” Jose starts laughing. He’s a senior. Kind of a jackass. Treats me like garbage despite me being his QB. But I’m only a sophomore who stepped in after our senior quarterback was injured. They still don’t have their full trust in me that I can actually do this. Coach Watson says, ‘you gotta earn respect before you get it’. None of these guys respect me.
Not yet.
“You can’t touch that one, Bennett,” Jose says with a shake of his head.
“Why the hell not?” I retort, annoyed. I can touch whoever the hell I want. Including pretty blondes who looks straight out of a fairytale.
Meaning she’s got a serious Disney princess vibe going on.
“I mean, if you want to, go for it. Give it a shot. Work your magic. Just know the Callahans will end up having your skinny ass on a plate when you’re through with her.” Jose laughs and smacks me on the back, sending me stumbling forward.
Jose is not only a jackass, he’s as big as a house and strong as an ox. He’s also our best defensive lineman.
I’ve been conditioning nonstop since last spring, trying to bulk up. I’m almost six feet but I still don’t have a lot of muscle on me. The seniors love to make fun of my ass, always telling me I suck. They wouldn’t give me shit if my brother was here. Ryan had all their respect, despite only playing with them for a year.
Me? They all think I’m a punk ass kid.
I catch another glimpse of her bright golden hair, the setting sun glinting off it and making it shine. “What do the Callahans have to do with—oh.”
I see her then. Fable Callahan making her way up the stands, sitting right next to the blonde. Her daughter. The resemblance is strong. My princess is a replica of her mama.
“Ava Callahan,” Jose says with a snicker. “Jake’s younger sister. Coach Callahan’s baby girl.”
Right. The baby sister. The one no one ever really talks about. Why is that? She’s hot.
I want her.
Not like she’s a toy I can claim, but damn. Wouldn’t that be nice?
Ava smiles at something her mom says and they all three start laughing. I can’t help but smile with them, my gaze locked on her face. My heart flips over itself and I rub at my chest, wondering why I suddenly feel so hollow.
Empty.
Maybe she snagged my heart at that exact moment.
“She’s untouchable,” Jose reminds me with a nudge. Why isn’t he on the field right now? Oh, that’s right. He’s injured. Benched for this week’s game. “You even look at her wrong, and her brother will have your balls in a sling.”
Jake Callahan is a loser who’s still on the JV team. At least I’m already on varsity. His ass can’t get past their current QB, Asher Davis. That guy is phenomenal.
And I’m actually playing against him tonight. Yeah, they’re beating our asses, but it’s almost an honor, Ash is so damn good.
I forget all about Davis and losing when my princess happens to look in my direction. I stand up straighter and smile at her. Lift my brows. Eager for a reaction.
She smiles faintly in return before her friend distracts her and she pulls her gaze from mine.
“How old is she?” I ask, my gaze never straying from where she sits.
“Freshman. Baby, remember?” Jose laughs. I glare at him.
Jose’s right, though. She’s young. A baby. A cutie who’s probably completely sheltered and thinks dicks are ugly and sex is gross. Meaning, she won’t be interested in me.
But she’s adorable. I bet when she’s older, she’ll be stunning.
Maybe when she’s older, I’ll get my chance.
And make her mine.
One
Ava
Summer
First of all, I didn’t want to go to the football camp in the middle of nowhere.
It’s bad enough that we live in a small town, full of small-minded people. I would give anything to move back to the Bay Area. To live in suburbia with people who think more like me. Who want to live more like me.
But I’m here. Stuck. I’ve been here for a long time, and I’ve come to terms with it.
Sort of.
The clock is ticking, and I’m getting closer and closer to graduation. AKA, getting out of here. I’ve got two years of high school left. I’m going to work my hardest to obtain an internship the summer before I start college at a non-profit that helps women and children, somewhere, preferably, out of the country, and then I’ll leave. I don’t care where I go. I just want out.
Back to why I’m here. We’re in the Sequoia National Forest, at a facility that hosts a giant football camp every summer. High school teams from all over the area come to this elite camp, and, this June, Dad and the rest of the coaches brought our varsity football team.
Dad also brought us—Mom, Jake, me and Beck—because he thought it would be like a vacation. That’s exactly how he sold it to us. Mom was all for it. So was my older brother, Jake—but, of course he was, he benefits from this the most.
Our little brother, Beck, is thrilled at the idea of swimming in the lake for the next four days. Or going fishing. Or boating. Or playing in the dirt. Or eating ice cream.
Me? I just finished my sophomore year, and all I want to do is hang out at my pool or at the lake with my friends.
Instead, I’m stuck at this camp, at another lake, in another forest, surrounded by boys I don’t care about, and without decent cell phone service or Wi-Fi, supposedly to bond with nature and hang out with my family, minus my big sister.
So jealous of Autumn right now, who’s spending the summer on the beach in Santa Barbara—where she goes to college—with her boyfriend, Asher Davis. I’m jealous of the beach time and the Ash time. Her boyfriend is so freaking gorgeous, and so madly in love with her. If only I could find someone like that.
If only.
We arrived at the camp about an hour ago, and we’re staying in a large cabin that sits right by the lake. The temperature is much cooler, since we’re at a higher elevation, and while I see why Dad wanted us to all go with him, I’m kind of bored.
And we only just got here.
“I’m going for a walk,” I call out to my parents, as I open the front door of the cabin.