I Left Him—But He Found Me Again / Chapter 2: Hearts Collide at Center Court
I Left Him—But He Found Me Again

I Left Him—But He Found Me Again

Author: Grace Davis

Chapter 2: Hearts Collide at Center Court

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Time flew by, and soon it was Wednesday. Holly and I got our volunteer T-shirts and headed toward the basketball court.

Holly couldn’t hide her excitement. “Ahhh, thank goodness we signed up fast! This is the best volunteer gig—volunteer hours and a chance to check out some hotties.”

“And this time it’s with the university next door, the Tech Institute.”

I glanced at Holly and narrowed my eyes. “Giving up on your club president already?”

...

“….”

When we got to the basketball court, it was already packed.

The gym smelled like sweat. Rubber. And that weirdly comforting popcorn from the concession stand. Banners hung from the rafters, and the bleachers were filling up fast. The energy in the air was electric.

We put on our volunteer vests, and Holly kept looking around.

“Worried your club president’s here?” I nudged her, teasing.

She wagged a finger at me while staring toward the entrance. “Nope, I’m scouting for hotties.”

Then she grabbed me and turned my head toward a group of guys walking in, all in matching black and white jerseys.

The moment I saw the guy who stood out among them, my eyes went wide and my heart kicked hard.

At the same time, Holly’s excited voice rang in my ear: “See the guy in the middle with the raspberry-red hair? Isn’t he hot?”

“I’m telling you, he’s the undisputed campus heartthrob—just ridiculously good-looking…”

After all this time, I never expected to run into Evan here.

And I definitely didn’t expect him to have such flashy hair now. I couldn’t bring myself to stare at him like Holly did; I could only sneak a few glances.

He seemed different, but also the same. He’d dyed his hair and gotten an earring, but his eyes and expression were still as cold as ever. Still, he looked right through me.

But when I looked over and saw the girl walking beside him, I didn’t dare look at him anymore.

The girl was Sarah Young. She wore a plain white dress and stayed close to Evan.

“Hey, hey!” Holly nudged me. “That girl has to be his girlfriend, right?”

“I heard from some people at Tech that there’s always a girl hanging around Evan. It must be her, right?”

Holly pouted. “But she is really pretty.”

Then she added, “But you’re even prettier, Autumn.”

Right then, I kind of regretted volunteering with Holly. Not only were we stationed directly across from them, but these bright red volunteer vests made us impossible to miss.

I felt like a walking stop sign. There was no way Evan hadn’t noticed me. My cheeks burned, and I tried to focus on the clipboard in my hands.

When I didn’t answer, Holly just kept going.

“That girl has that soft, delicate, angelic vibe. But you’re the bold, radiant kind of pretty. The first time I saw you, and that figure of yours, I was just… drooling.”

The crowd kept growing, but the two of us stood out in our vests. Holly didn’t know when to stop, getting more and more excited.

“Girl, if you keep going, someone’s going to call us out!” I tried to stifle a laugh, but she was really on a roll.

I gently pushed her hand off my shoulder. Then Holly gave me a look, but I didn’t get what she meant until Shane Foster jogged over to us. He pursed his lips and smiled at me. “Autumn, volunteering here too?”

By the time I looked back, Holly had slipped away, leaving me alone in this awkward situation.

I nodded, feeling awkward all over again. Why did this always happen to me?

Shane had been chasing me since the start of the semester, even though I’d made it clear I wasn’t interested. He just kept at it.

Looking at him, I saw a bit of my old self. I realized how much of a hassle I must have been for Evan back then.

“When the game’s over, wait for me. Let’s grab a bite together!”

Before I could refuse, Shane grinned and ran back to his team.

I opened my mouth, speechless, watching him go.

At some point, Holly had returned. She said, “Honestly, I think Shane’s pretty nice. He’s persistent, you know…”

When I shot her a look that could kill, she quickly mimed zipping her lips.

I lowered my head, wondering how I’d survive the next few hours.

Holly leaned in again. “Hey, do you know that hot guy from Tech? He’s been watching you the whole time!”

My heart skipped a beat. I tried to laugh it off, but a tiny part of me hoped she was right. For just a second, I let myself believe things might finally be turning around.

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