She was never meant to stand out. He was never meant to look her way. Nova lives in the background-quiet, sharp, and armed with enough sarcasm to keep the world at a safe distance. After a past she refuses to revisit and a body that doesn't always cooperate, staying invisible is easier. Colton lives in the spotlight-college quarterback, sarcastic, infuriating, and everything she's learned to avoid. They clash. Constantly. Banter turns into arguments, arguments into tension, and tension into something neither of them is ready to name. Because for Nova, football players don't get second chances. And for Colton, Nova was never supposed to matter this much. But when lines blur, walls crack, and secrets surface. What happens when the one person you can't stand becomes the only one you can't lose? This book is a part of a series but can be read as a standalone Tropes Contemporary romance Rivals to Lovers (Personality Clash) Quaterback x nerd Equal Energy Couple Chronic illness Banter-Heavy Romance Mutual Annoyance → Mutual Obsession Verbal Sparring as Foreplay Hidden Vulnerability Push-Pull Dynamic

Aidan Feely. One of the most mysterious lads I've ever come across. He's got this quiet, brooding energy, like he's always a step removed from the chaos around him. Tall and lean, with that messy, dark hair that always seems perfectly tousled, as if he's just rolled out of bed and still somehow looks better than half the school. His green eyes - God, those eyes - sharp and intense, like he can see straight through you. I know boys are meant to be handsome, rugged, all that, but Aidan is just... beautiful. Long, dark lashes that half the girls in school would kill for, and a jawline that looks like it was carved from marble. He never says more than he has to, rarely smiles, and when he does, it's this rare, fleeting thing that makes my heart skip a beat. And I'm falling. Hard. But there's a problem. A massive one. I have a boyfriend. And he's nothing like Aidan. *** Sophie Quinn. The girl I've been losing my mind over for the past year. She's this whirlwind of chaos and laughter, the type of girl who lights up a room just by walking into it. She's got that wild, curly hair that never quite does what it's told, a laugh that echoes around the halls, and these eyes - bright and full of life - that catch the light in the best possible way. But here's the kicker - she has a boyfriend. Some tosser who doesn't deserve her. I see him around, loud and arrogant, one of those lads who thinks the world owes him something just because he can kick a ball straight. And it grates at me. I catch him throwing his arm around her, whispering in her ear, and it takes everything in me not to pull him off and tell him to keep his hands to himself. Not that I'd ever say it out loud, but I want her. More than I should. And I know she's starting to notice. The way I lean in a bit closer when she talks, the way my gaze lingers when she brushes past me. She's catching on, I can feel it. And I don't care about her boyfriend, not even a little. Because in the end, I'm going to have her.

AJ Lynch is the bane of my existence. He's like a rock in my shoe-small enough to ignore for a little while, but always there, annoying me until I lose my mind. He's the golden boy, the one who gets perfect grades, charms every teacher, and never steps a toe out of line-or so his parents think. Joey and Aoife Lynch's pride and joy, right? Wrong. Because here's the thing: AJ isn't as perfect as everyone thinks he is. He has a secret. A big one. And I, Catherine Biggs, the girl he loves to torment, am the only one who knows it. AJ Lynch is a racer. Yep, that kind of racer-the illegal kind. The kind that sneaks out at night to tear up the streets and put that shiny car of his to work. The golden boy isn't so golden after all, and trust me, I'd love nothing more than to use it against him. Too bad he's too clever for his own good. *** Catherine Biggs. The mean girl of Tommen School. The girl every guy pretends to hate but can't stop looking at. She's the one who gets a kick out of tormenting people, though her favorite targets seem to be boys. Lucky us. If you say anything remotely out of line about her or her little circle of friends, she's on you faster than you can blink. And honestly? She scares most of the lads here. Me? I'm counting down the days until she's out of my life for good. This is our last year, and soon I won't have to see her stupid curly blonde hair, or those blue eyes that are just... too much. I swear, her beauty is all she has going for her. Inside? She's rotten, blacker than black. The kind of girl who smiles while cutting you down. And yet... somehow, she's still in my head. And then there's her boyfriend. Cillian Wilkinson. All charm and dimples, like a walking ad for "Ireland's Most Eligible Teen." Everyone loves him-teachers, parents, even the lads. Except me. I hate the way he puts his arm around her, like she's his and no one else's. Because that's the problem with Catherine Biggs-she's not just in my head. She's under my skin.

Mike Biggs-the most handsome boy in Tommen. Bit of a gentleman, but he knows how to shut people up when needed. Never thought we'd be close, but after what happened with Sinead-his little sister and my best friend-things shifted. Do I like it? Can't say for sure. He's different when it's just the two of us. Softer. Kinder. But right now, I don't have time for love. I need to focus on becoming like my ma, playing in the orchestra. That's what matters. Not Mike Biggs and whatever this is between us... right? Bridget Feely-shy, sweet, and has this quiet kind of beauty that sneaks up on you. We've been friends for a while, and maybe-just maybe-I've thought about her as more than that. But I never let myself dwell on it. Until I heard her play the violin. Christ, I had no idea she could play like that. Now? Now I can't stop thinking about her. The way she looks when she plays, the way the music seems to carry her somewhere else. And just like that, I'm completely gone for the girl.

Rory Kavanagh. The best rugby player Tommen has ever seen-well, besides his da, obviously. Johnny Kavanagh. The Johnny Kavanagh. Our parents are basically joint at the hip, best mates since they were kids. And naturally, me and Rory just... became mates too. That's the deal. That's what we said we'd be. Friends. Right? Friends. But like-come on. Have you seen him? His abs? That man has a six-pack like he's sculpted from marble. His hair? Brown and silky, like-like a shampoo ad or somethin'. And those eyes? The kind of blue that makes you forget your own name. I swear to God, I'm not even being dramatic. So yeah... maybe I've a teeny, tiny, miniscule crush on him. Can you blame me? No. No, you can't. I won't hear it. But I'm not saying a thing. No way. What if he just laughs? That'd kill me. So for now, I'll just pretend I don't stare at him for longer than is normal when he talks. For now, it's just friendship. Grand. ...But what if he does feel the same? *** Bethany Gibson. Jaysus. She's been my best friend since we were in playschool, like actually since nappies. She's pure chaos-loud, mad, always in trouble for something-but I wouldn't change a thing about her. Not one thing. She's class. Gorgeous too. Not just like "oh she's grand," no-proper gorgeous. Her blonde curls bounce when she laughs, and I swear it's like the sun's just following her around. Her eyes? Silver. Like not even grey-silver, like a flipping fairy or something. Every time she looks at me, I forget what I was saying. Which is not ideal when you're trying to seem normal, right? I've fancied her since I was about seven. Maybe six. But what am I supposed to do? Tell her? What if she just laughs and goes, "Ah you're gas," and then pats me on the head like I'm some lost puppy? I'd actually evaporate from shame. But then again... what if she does like me back? What if all this time I was too scared to see it?

IN WHICH: TADHG LYNCH X LEAH DALY "You always were two steps ahead of everyone. We'd walk behind while you would run. And the years have proved to offer nothing since you moved. Now you're long gone, and I can't move on, and I miss you." - Missing, No Mercy "Shut up, Lynch." "Shutting up, Daly." Started: June 5th, 2025 Finished: March 25th, 2026 word count: ≈150k words ‼️ I'VE WRITTEN "TADGH" INSTEAD OF "TADHG" THROUGHOUT ACT 1 AND ACT 2 I'M SORRY

Conor Kavanagh. The heartthrob of Tommen College. The biggest playboy in the school - cocky smirk, rugby jersey practically sewn onto him, always with a smart comment and that maddening wink. He's friendly, charming, flirty as hell. The kind of lad who'd carry your bag for you and somehow make it seem like your idea. But don't let that fool you - he's trouble. All sharp jawlines and swagger. And somehow, he's decided I'm his next bloody charity case. I hate it. I hate how he shows up when I don't ask, how he looks at me like I'm breakable. I don't need saving - I've got it sorted. The drink, the pills, the temper - all of it. My mess, not his. And every time I tell him to back off, to leave me be, he just gets closer, like I'm speaking in code. I don't need his pity or his perfect face. I don't need him. So why does part of me keep hoping he'll show up again tomorrow? *** Sinead Biggs. The reigning queen of Tommen. Sharp-tongued, sharp-eyed, and terrifying in heels. Everyone thinks she's just Cath's little sister - until she opens her gob and makes half the school cry before lunch. She walks those halls like she owns them, and honestly? She kind of does. The lads are scared of her. The girls want to be her. And me? I'm hopelessly, pathetically into her. Everyone knows it. My mates won't shut up about it. Even when she's tearing strips off me with that mouth of hers, I'm there grinning like a gobshite. Because deep down, I remember. I remember when we used to be best friends. When she used to laugh like a lunatic at my stupid jokes, when her hand would brush mine and neither of us would move away. But then came Owen Rice - the prick. Then came that night. The accident. The hospital. And when she came back, she wasn't the same. She'd built up walls with barbed wire. She'd become someone colder, louder, crueler. But I still see her. The girl I knew. And every once in a while, when no one's looking, I think she sees me too.

𝐕𝐈𝐕𝐈𝐄𝐍𝐍𝐄 𝐖𝐇𝐈𝐓𝐋𝐎𝐂𝐊 - all her hopes and dreams of running away from the luxurious lifestyle with her boyfriend are ruined when she finds herself chained down in a sudden arranged marriage with someone she'd never love, but it's already been made clear that not everything goes to plan. 𝐑𝐘𝐃𝐄𝐑 𝐅𝐎𝐑𝐁𝐄𝐒 - He only agreed to this wedding on the condition that it would help his business career and put more money in his wallet. He's never been in a serious committed relationship before, and he wasn't about to start now, that is, until he sees his soon-to-be wife; now he'll go through anything and anyone to get her, even her own boyfriend. started - may 8th, 2023. finished - july 28th, 2023.

"Through anything?" "Through everything." Tadhg Lynch is fire and silence. With a brutal past and a father who taught him fear behind closed doors, Tadhg wears his trauma like armor-sharp, defensive, and unreadable. To most, that is. Nightmares consume him, trust eludes him, and peace is a foreign language he's convinced he would never come close to understanding. He recognizes pain the same way others recognize faces-especially in her. Ciara Bellemore is light dimmed too soon. Graceful and polite on the outside, but broken and dead on the inside. She hides bruises beneath long sleeves and hope beneath whispered prayers. With a mother fading from illness and a home filled with silence and control, Ciara clings to the only comfort she has the knowledge of-angels, feathers, and a belief in something better. When they collide, it's as though fire had met water. An invisible strength kept pulling the other into their orbit-either taunting the other with their presence or showing them what it owes.

NEVAEH CALLAGHAN, a girl that has been through hell and back, and moving to the town her childhood best friend lived in was the last thing she expected, but maybe he was the one thing that could bring her back to life. TADGH LYNCH, a boy that will be haunted by the demons of his family for the rest of his life, but the moment nevaeh comes back into his life, things begin to turn around.