The National Third Wheel

Lesha Vera has it all - a degree in Fashion Design, her own brand, and a boutique in the heart of New York.
But love? That's the one thing she never had.
Since high school, she's been the single one in a circle full of couples. The one who watches everyone else fall in love, get loved, get chosen. And by the time she graduated college, people had stopped asking - they just silently wished someone would finally choose her.
Then there's Klay Thompson.
Golden State Warriors shooting guard. 6'6 of trouble she never saw coming. She met him during her senior year, interning at LV for a store opening in the city. He was just supposed to be a friend. A good one. The kind who shows up, who stays.
But their friendship was never simple - not with his ex always coming back, crawling back, messing with what they were slowly building.
They both know.
God, they know they love each other. The looks that linger too long. The touches that last a second more than they should. The way it hurts when the other pulls away.
But they keep pretending. Friends. Just friends. Enjoying the in-between because the truth is too risky.
Until one vacation.
One night.
One moment where Klay finally stops pretending - and turns everything up.