Jordan Baker had always believed in loyalty. In family, in love, in the promises people made and the bonds that held them together. That belief had carried him through championships, heartbreaks, and the weight of expectations that came with being the son of a football legend. But nothing could've prepared him for the moment Simone sat him down, eyes full of regret, and told him the truth-the baby wasn't his.

The words had knocked the air out of his lungs, leaving him hollow in a way he couldn't explain. He had spent months preparing to be a father, shifting his dreams, making sacrifices, choosing a future he thought was already written in stone. And just like that, it was gone. The love he fought for, the life he had imagined-it had never been his to begin with.

So, he did what he always did when he needed to breathe. He hit the gym.

It was late, long past the time most students had cleared out, but Jordan welcomed the silence. The weight of the barbell in his hands was the only thing grounding him, the ache in his muscles the only thing that made sense.

Then he saw her.

At first, he thought he was imagining things. It had been over a year since they'd last seen each other, and yet, there she was-Isabella "Izzie" Sanchez, his childhood best friend, stretching by the mirrors like she belonged there.

She caught his gaze in the reflection, lips twitching into a smirk.

"What, no 'hey, bestie'? You look like you've seen a ghost."

Jordan pulled out his headphones, heart pounding for reasons that had nothing to do with his workout. "Izzie?"

"In the flesh." She grinned, stepping closer. "Miss me?"

He let out a breath, something shifting in his chest. Maybe everything in his life was falling apart. Maybe he had no idea what came next.

But right now, Izzie was here. And for the first time in weeks, that felt like enough.