Quiet swears came over her lips every once in a while, but other than that she remained completely silent. Without her, the team was clearly shaken; passes became more imprecise, they lost the ball to the other players more frequently. Still, somehow they managed to stay level with the others.

In the last minute of the game, the teams were tied once again.

The other school attacked, desperate to score that one last time, but one of Seven Hills’ girls, a tall brunette, managed to get the ball. Within seconds it was in the other half of the court. Then, right before the last few seconds ended, a boy managed to get the ball into the basket.

Noelle let out a relieved sigh as soon as the referee officially ended the game, her shoulders dropping and her teeth releasing her lower lip, which was bloody from all the nervous lip biting. Instead of celebrating on the court, the entire team huddled around the bench to include Noelle, who was already grinning from ear to ear again like she hadn’t just sprained her ankle and would spend the night in the infirmary.

The nurse returned to us as the gym emptied, followed by Jasper and Seth. “Come on, now. Let’s get you fixed up,” she said, shooing the last remaining teammates away.

Noelle reluctantly agreed and let Jasper help her out of the gym. Just before they left through the door, Noelle turned her head to face me one last time.

I couldn’t hear her, but I could read her lips well enough to know she said, Thank you.

As soon as Jasper and Noelle disappeared in the hallway, Seth turned to me with a raised eyebrow. “That wasn’t very subtle now, was it?”

My throat tightened at what that statement implied. In a voice like gravel, I asked, “Was it actually that obvious?”

The smile immediately dropped off his face and made room for a more earnest look. “No, I’m just messing with you. You’re fine, Eve, I promise. No one else thought anything of it.”

The knot in my chest loosened a little bit at that and I gave a small nod.

“I held Jasper back for you,” Seth said, the teasing tone back in his voice. “He wanted to get Noelle off the court, but I told him you’d handle it. Where’s my award for wingman of the year?”

“Thanks,” I murmured. “How did you know?”

“Know what? That you fancy Noelle?”

“I don’t fancy—”

“Pretty much after the first week,” he continued like he hadn’t even heard my rebuttal. “All those heart eyes you give her at breakfast? The way you acted around her when you were drunk?

How your eyes follow her every time she walks by? How you immediately agreed to give her self-defense lessons? Your reaction to her saying she was bi? Your—”

With every sentence, my cheeks turned redder and redder, until I finally said, “Okay, I get it! Jesus, you’re awful.”

“Awfully good at observing others, you mean,” he laughed.