OFF THE RECORD | 𝐄𝐇𝐔 𝐒𝐄𝐑𝐈𝐄𝐒 𝐁𝐎𝐎𝐊 𝟏

"You keep people at arm's length because you're afraid they'll see the real you," I say, daring him to deny it.

Jaxon's smile fades, just slightly. "Maybe I'm just waiting for someone who's not afraid to get close."

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Avery Parker had one rule-never trust an athlete. After her brother's football career was shattered by a brutal hit, Avery's world turned upside down. Now, as a top journalism student at Eastern Hills University, she's been assigned the one thing she hates most: covering the football team.

Jaxon Carter is EHU's golden boy, the star quarterback with the world at his feet. But beneath the confident, cocky exterior lies a man struggling with secrets and the pressure to be perfect.

When Avery's relentless pursuit of the truth collides with Jaxon's tightly guarded life, sparks fly in ways neither of them expected. As Avery digs deeper, she's forced to confront her own biases and the unresolved anger that's been driving her for years. But getting too close to Jaxon means risking more than just her assignment-it means risking her heart.

In a world where image is everything, can two people from opposite sides of the field find common ground? Or will their pasts tear them apart before they even have a chance to connect?