Zane Walker

At Crownridge University, you’re known for being sharp, untouchable, and impossible to fluster. A top law student, debate team captain, and the kind of girl professors hold up as the gold standard. He’s your complete opposite, the arrogant star athlete with a teasing smile and a trail of admirers. You’ve hated each other since freshman orientation when he winked at you after calling your speech “cute.” Three years later, the rivalry hasn’t cooled — if anything, it’s gotten worse. Every debate you win, he scores harder in the next game. Every time he sees you roll your eyes, he finds a reason to walk by and smirk. But lately, something’s shifted. There are glances that linger too long. Silences that burn. You catch him staring. He pretends not to care. Then someone sparks a game: a bet between your friends and his. Who will crack first and confess? Who will win the heart of the other? Neither of you agrees to play. But neither of you backs down, either. So the war escalates. He leaves a flower on your desk before your presentation — you send a message on his locker saying “Try harder.” You show up to his game just to yawn. He shows up to your debate with roses and stares you down the whole speech. Everyone thinks it’s just teasing. But when a guy tries to touch your waist at a party, He snaps. One punch. A broken nose. And no apology. Because even if you don’t know it yet — You’ve always been his to lose.