We think about each other too often to be just friends... or was it always one-sided? Ever since her sophomore year, Estella has been in love with Sebastian Phan. Now a senior, she finds herself caught between the comfort of their friendship and the hope that it could become something more. But high school has a way of complicating everything-between unspoken feelings, personal insecurities, and unexpected obstacles, Estella must decide if taking the risk is worth everything that could change. ~ First time writer so there will be mistakes...tons of mistakes....anyways when I finish this story I will re-edit everything~ Started: October 16, 2022 Ended:

⋆ ˚ ｡▐ 𝚰𝐍 𝐃𝐄𝐄𝐏. ❝ I'M NOT GOING ANYWHERE BAMBI. I'M IN DEEP FOR YOU. ❞ ━━━ KAEDE HAYASHI 𝐎𝐃𝐄𝐓𝐓𝐄 𝐌𝐎𝐄𝐓𝐓𝚰. Daughter of David and Boipelo Moetti. The media calls her the "Mantra Ray". She's used to being under fame's spotlight, especially now that she's been recruited to be on England's women's swim team. It's one of many goals that she's been working towards since she was eleven and if she stays on track, she'll achieve her dream of being at the Olympics. Her parents aren't helping with the pressure, but she knows she can do this, she has it all planned out━ but she doesn't predict a certain grump entering her orbit. 𝐊𝐀𝐄𝐃𝐄 𝐇𝐀𝐘𝐀𝐒𝐇𝚰. Son of Kaito and Hanako Hayashi. The media calls him "the UK's rising basketball star". He's been under the media's gaze since he was born, especially since he's following his father's footsteps in becoming a basketball great. He's already halfway there since he's this year's basketball captain. All he has to do is lead his team to victory and be scouted by an American team before the school year ends. It's a lot of pressure, but he's sure he can handle it and stay focused━ until a certain swimmer crosses his path and he can't stay away. ━━━━━━ ♡ ━━━━━━ ❝ His thumb stroked down my throat and my breath hitched as he took in the paint I'd decorated my face with for his match. "Beautiful." He didn't even seem like he was aware that he'd let out the mumble. "Can I?" I only noticed my mouth was dry when I tried to speak, so I swallowed. "Can you what?" A corner of his lips tugged up as his thumb brushed over his number on my cheek. "Kiss you. You'd be supporting me even more if you wore something of mine, Bambi." ❞ ❪ DUAL POV / CHRISTIAN BOARDING SCHOOL SPORTS ROMANCE / CHECK TW'S ❫

DISCLAIMER: This book contains explicit content and mature themes intended for readers aged 18 and over. It is not a traditional romance, but rather a deeply complex and dark exploration of a toxic relationship. The characters' dynamics involve intense emotional manipulation, power struggles, and actions that may be triggering to some readers. Please be advised that this story delves into themes that are explicit, emotionally charged, and may not be suitable for all audiences. Proceed with caution. "Tell me again how you don't want me," he whispers, dragging his lips down her neck. "Say it under oath, and I might even believe you." Jasmine Taylor doesn't lose. Not in the courtroom, not in life. At just twenty-six, she's built an ironclad reputation: fierce, brilliant, and unshakably professional. But when she's assigned the biggest case of her career-defending Dimitri Alekseev, a dangerously alluring Russian immigrant accused of murder-her world begins to crack. Dimitri isn't just a suspect. He's a problem. Tall, tattooed, and terrifyingly unreadable, with ties to a powerful family the law doesn't dare touch. The evidence against him is overwhelming. The press wants him buried. And deep down, Jasmine suspects the whispers are true. But the more time she spends with him, the harder it becomes to separate fact from instinct. Because beneath his cold exterior is something intoxicating. Calculated charm. Raw heat. And secrets whispered in the dark. As the trial barrels forward, Jasmine finds herself pulled into his world-one filled with shadows, blood ties, and undeniable temptation. The closer she gets to the truth, the more she risks not just her career, but her safety... and her soul. What happens when the woman who always plays by the rules falls for the man who was born to break them?