One Temptation

Tradition? (Chapter 79)

*sighs dramatically*

I know I disappeared for like... a whole month. Life decided to throw a punch for the one hundredth time this year.

I swear I've been trying to finish this story 😭😭😭 but things just keep piling up.

The truth is — I really need to lock in now. I'm heading overseas in two months, and if I don't finish the current story before then, there won't be any updates for at least a month while I'm away.

That said... I haven't been completely unproductive. While I was gone, I started planning TWO new books.

Now I need your help:
Would you rather read

1) A dark romance (which I can start uploading pretty soon)

OR

2) A fantasy/magic/war/kingdoms type of story (which will take longer to post because world-building takes time)?

I will be writing both eventually, but I want to know which one you'd prefer to see first!

The dark romance is basically ready — I just need to start writing.
The fantasy, on the other hand, will take more time to bring to life (building an entire world can be difficult).

Let me know what you think!

Also, which friendship/ relationship in this book feels the most real to you?

**********

Madison's POV:

The whole camp had migrated to the oval.

I swear, it felt like half the camp decided to come down, crowding along the sidelines, packing themselves shoulder-to-shoulder on the grass.

"Tell me why it feels like Coachella out here and not a school camp," Em muttered beside me.

"Because it's West's team," Lia answered, her arms crossed but her face lit with a grin. "They could kick a ball around in the parking lot and people would still show up to scream."

I tugged the hem of my shirt nervously, scanning the oval. Coaches were still moving around, filling in names, tossing jerseys out, setting positions.

The other team — the ones who'd demanded this "rematch" — were stretching, loud, hyping themselves up like this was life or death. They looked fired up, I'll give them that. But all I could think was: it's West. They don't stand a chance.

The moment the players lined up at the sheds and West led his team out, it was like the world cracked open. Screams erupted around me, cheers bouncing across the oval so loud my eardrums buzzed.

He was in his jersey, number eleven bold on his back, captain's band on his arm, walking like he owned the grass beneath his shoes. Confident. Unbothered. Like this was exactly where he was meant to be.

And in the absolute chaos of hundreds of eyes on him — his gaze found mine.

Instantly.

Like I was the only person in the crowd.

He smirked, raised his hand, and blew me a flying kiss. Just like that. No hesitation. Just launched it straight across the crowd at me.

I froze.

Everyone around me gasped, then the chorus of "awwwwww!" rippled through the sideline like an earthquake.

I wanted the ground to swallow me whole. My face was burning, my throat caught — but there was no fighting the grin that split across my face. Stupid and unstoppable. I lifted my hand, caught his invisible kiss like an idiot, and blew one right back.