Lena didn't lose.
It wasn't just her motto, it was the way she survived.
On the court, off the court, in life she stayed ten steps ahead and three feet away from anything that looked like risk.
So why the hell was she letting Jaxon Cole into her space, her strategy, and if she wasn't careful her head?
The morning scrimmage at Empire Stadium had barely started and already, she could feel his eyes on her.
Every step she took, every pass she made, every shot she nailed he watched.
From the bleachers.
From the tunnel.
From somewhere always just close enough to set her pulse on fire.
And that was a problem.
Because Lena didn't do distractions.
And Jaxon Cole?
He was distraction wrapped in six feet of trouble and a smirk that needed to be wiped clean off his face.
Coach Rivera blew the whistle.
"Hayes! Ball in!"
Lena nodded, catching the pass, pivoting hard. She drove down the lane, split two defenders, and launched into the air.
Her body stretched.
The ball soared.
Swish.
Zoe whooped from the sideline. "Tell 'em, L!"
Lena landed, chest heaving, arms wide. A small thrill zipped down her spine not from the shot, but from the flash of movement in her periphery.
She turned.
Jaxon.
Leaning casually against the wall near the exit tunnel.
Hands in his pockets.
Watching her like he'd paid for a front-row seat.
Lena blew out a breath, turned back toward midcourt.
Ignore him.
Focus.
Control.
But when the whistle blew again, and the ball was passed her way she fumbled.
For the first time all morning.
The ball bounced off her fingers and rolled across the floor.
A chorus of groans.
Zoe stared at her like she'd just missed a layup blindfolded.
Coach Rivera raised a brow. "You good, Hayes?"
Lena nodded quickly, grabbing the ball. "I'm fine."
"Then prove it."
Lena stood under the cold stream of the shower for a full five minutes before she could get her breathing back under control.
She hadn't lost it on the court but she'd come close.
And that wasn't just about the ball.
It was about Jaxon.
The look he gave her. The effect he had without saying a damn word.
It wasn't fair.
She dried off fast, changed into black joggers and a hoodie, and left before Zoe could corner her with questions.
But he was waiting.
Of course he was.
Jaxon was leaning against the wall across from the locker room doors, phone in hand, expression unreadable.
"You're like a bad rash," she muttered as she passed him.
He fell into step beside her. "You're welcome for the motivation."
"That's what you call it?"
Jaxon smirked. "That three you hit over Sierra? That was because of me."
Lena rolled her eyes. "Please. I've been making that shot since middle school."
"But it hit different this morning."
Lena stopped, turning to face him. "Why are you here?"
Jaxon tilted his head. "You mean physically or metaphorically?"
Lena glared.
Jaxon's smile slipped slightly. "I'm here because I told you I had your back."
"And what does watching me from the shadows accomplish?"
"I wasn't hiding, Hayes." His voice lowered. "You knew I was there."
Her pulse kicked.
She hated how right he was.
"I'm not your charity case," Lena said quietly. "You don't have to show up and play watchdog."
"I'm not."
"Then what are you doing?"
Jaxon stepped closer. "I'm showing up."
Lena held her ground.
"You think I'm here to control you?" Jaxon asked, voice low, sharp. "To fix you?"
Lena didn't answer.
"I'm not trying to get in your way, Lena." His eyes burned into hers. "I'm just trying to stand next to you."
That shouldn't have hit as hard as it did.
But it did.
Lena exhaled slowly. "This thing we're doing… it's getting out of hand."
Jaxon nodded. "Then let's take control of it."
She arched a brow. "That a new move?"
"It's a proposal."
Lena crossed her arms. "Let's hear it."
They sat in a quiet corner of the café two blocks from the stadium, sipping on iced lattes and trying not to get spotted.
Lena, hoodie up, sunglasses on.
Jaxon, in full "low-profile billionaire" mode.
She tapped her fingers against the side of her cup. "So what's the plan?"
Jaxon leaned forward. "We control the story."
"You mean feed the media?"
"I mean beat them at their own game."
Lena raised a brow.
"You've got power now, Hayes. Everyone's watching you. Talking about you. They think they're watching a scandal unfold."
"And?"
"We give them something else. A brand."
Lena blinked. "A brand?"
"Lena Hayes rising star, unstoppable on the court, dating the reformed rich boy who can't stop showing up for her." He smirked. "Come on. Tell me that's not marketable."
Lena shook her head slowly. "That's insane."
"Is it?"
"I'm not a brand. I'm a player."
"You're both," he said. "And if you want to win this fight with Kingston, with my father, with anyone who thinks they can write your story for you you better start playing that part too."
Lena looked down at her cup. Her reflection stared back tired, fiery-eyed, unbreakable.
She hated that he was right.
She hated how much she wanted to say yes.
But most of all…
She hated how much she didn't hate the idea of him standing beside her when she did it.
Lena looked up. "If I say yes…"
Jaxon leaned in. "You won't regret it."
She narrowed her eyes. "That's not a guarantee. That's a threat."
Jaxon's smile returned. "You like danger, Hayes."
Lena stared at him.
And for the first time, she didn't look away.
The moment Lena stepped back into her apartment, the walls felt too close.
The conversation with Jaxon kept looping in her mind. His words. His gaze. That calm confidence like he always knew how the game would end.
He said he wanted to stand next to her.
Not fix her.
Not control her.
Just show up.
And the terrifying part?
She believed him.
"Finally!" Zoe's voice called from the couch.
Lena froze mid-step. "Zoe?"
Zoe sat up, legs crossed, a giant bowl of popcorn in her lap and her laptop open. "You've been ghosting me for 24 hours. Girl, you are not slick."
Lena sighed. "You broke into my apartment again?"
Zoe shrugged. "Jordan let me in. Said I could stay as long as I brought snacks."
"Of course he did."
Zoe turned the laptop around. "So you and Jaxon Cole are officially the internet's obsession. Look at this."
Lena squinted. Dozens of headlines blinked across the screen:
#JaxLena Is Trending
Baller Queen and Billionaire Bad Boy: The Power Couple We Didn't Know We Needed
Rooftop Romance or PR Stunt?
Lena dropped her bag. "Shit."
"Oh no, honey." Zoe grinned. "This isn't shit. This is golden. Your name is everywhere. Fans, media, brands they're watching."
Lena crossed her arms. "It wasn't supposed to blow up this fast."
Zoe gave her a look. "You're dating Jaxon freaking Cole. There's no slow in that man's vocabulary."
"It's not real," Lena muttered.
"Could've fooled me."
Lena opened her mouth then paused.
Zoe's gaze softened. "So what's the plan?"
Lena hesitated. "We… go public. On our terms."
Zoe's brows shot up. "You mean press releases? Interviews?"
"No. Jaxon wants to control the narrative. Show them we're not just headlines, we're power."
Zoe blinked. "Okay. Damn. That's kind of hot."
Lena gave her a look.
Zoe shrugged. "I'm just saying… if fake dating is this spicy, maybe y'all should fake marry next."
"Zoe"
"Relax. I'm team Lena first, always." She smiled. "But I see the way he looks at you. And it's not fake."
Lena didn't respond.
Because if she said anything, the truth might slip out.
That she noticed too.
That Jaxon's gaze made her forget the world.
That maybe, just maybe, she didn't want to fake it anymore.
Later that night, Lena sat on her bed, staring at her phone screen.
Her Instagram was open.
Blank caption box. One photo waiting.
It was a picture Jaxon had sent her earlier.
Her on the rooftop, laughing, hair caught in the wind. His hand was at her waist. The city blurred in the background.
It looked real.
Too real.
She didn't want this to be about damage control. Or attention. Or optics.
She wanted it to be about her.
Her voice. Her move. Her choice.
Lena took a deep breath.
Then she typed:
"They don't get to write my story. I do."
She hit post.
The photo lit up her feed.
Within seconds, comments started rolling in.
@JaxonColeOfficial liked your post.
@JaxonColeOfficial commented: "Every story needs a main character."
Lena's heart slammed into her chest.
She turned off the screen and lay back against the pillows.
She wasn't sure what came next.
But for the first time…
She wasn't scared of it.
The second Lena's post went live, the notifications exploded.
Her screen lit up like a scoreboard in overtime
Likes. Comments. Mentions.
Some cheering her on:
"Finally, a real one in the spotlight."
"Lena is THAT girl."
"Power couple energy!"
Some not so much:
"This won't last."
"PR stunt written all over it."
"She's not on his level."
Lena scrolled for a second, thumb hovering.
But she didn't flinch.
Let them talk.
Let them speculate.
Let them doubt.
She wasn't doing it for them.
She was doing it for herself.
For the girl who fought for her spot.
For the sister who carried the weight of a family on her back.
This time, she chose the narrative.
Her phone buzzed again.
But this time it wasn't social media.
Jaxon Cole calling.
Lena stared at the name.
Her finger hovered over the green icon.
Then she picked up.
"Didn't take you for the sentimental type," she said.
"You just broke the internet," Jaxon's voice came through low and smooth. "I thought that deserved a call."
She could hear the faint sounds of traffic in the background. He was out. Moving. Probably causing headlines just by walking.
"You approve?" she asked.
"I admire," he corrected. "You flipped the narrative in one sentence."
Lena smiled despite herself. "They won't all believe it."
"Doesn't matter," Jaxon said. "What matters is they believe you're in control."
Lena was quiet for a second.
"Thank you," she said softly.
"For what?"
"For standing next to me."
Jaxon's voice dipped lower. "I meant it, Hayes. You don't have to face them alone."
Her heart did something traitorous in her chest.
"You keep saying that," she whispered.
"I'll keep proving it," he replied.
Silence stretched between them. Not heavy, just real.
"Where are you?" she asked.
"Looking at the rooftop," Jaxon said. "Our rooftop."
Lena exhaled.
He meant the Mayfair rooftop where it all started. Where the lights of the city wrapped around them like a secret.
"Want company?" she asked before she could talk herself out of it.
There was a pause.
Then
"I was hoping you'd ask."
The elevator ride to the Mayfair rooftop felt different this time.
She wasn't the girl being dragged into someone else's world.
She was the girl stepping into her own story.
When the doors opened, Jaxon was already waiting.
Leaning against the railing, city lights casting soft shadows across his jaw. That same easy smirk tugging at his lips but this time, his eyes looked softer. Realer.
"You came," he said.
Lena stepped forward. "I'm unpredictable like that."
They stood side by side, looking out over the city.
"So," she said, "what now?"
Jaxon turned toward her. "Now we get ready."
"For what?"
"For everything that's coming. The media. My father. Kingston."
Lena nodded slowly. "And we face it head on?"
Jaxon smiled. "Side by side."
He held out his hand, palm open.
Lena looked at it for a second… then laced her fingers through his.
No pretending. No cameras. No strategy.
Just them.
And for the first time, Lena didn't feel like she was walking into the fire.
She felt like she was the fire.