ROSE’S POV

I wiped the sweat from my forehead with the back of my arm, breathing hard as the whistle blew. The gym echoed with squeaking sneakers and bouncing balls—my first college PE class, and it was basketball.

The coach—a tall, no-nonsense woman with a clipboard—divided us into teams. I ended up on the blue side, pulling on a mesh jersey that smelled like old sweat. Most of the girls seemed nice enough, chatting and laughing as we warmed up. But one caught my eye right away.

She was tall, athletic build, with short blonde hair and a glare that could cut glass. Every time our eyes met during stretches,...