Prologue

Nova Reyes has always lived for soccer. It's what gets her up in the morning, what drives her through every practice, every match, every injury. Her parents believe in her. Her twin brother, Orion, is her best friend and closest confidant-no one knows her like he does.

With graduation approaching and scouts watching, Nova's life seems set: go pro, make the roster, fulfill the dream she's chased since childhood.

But when college begins, the field isn't the only place Nova has to find her footing. The pressure builds. The expectations feel heavier. And in the quiet moments no one sees, she starts to realize that chasing greatness can get lonely.

Then she meets someone who changes everything-a stranger who listens when she can't find the right words, who becomes the lifeline she didn't know she needed. With him, Nova feels seen in a way that scares her.

Now she's caught between the life she's always known and a future that might ask her to risk her heart.

Can she have love and the game? Or will choosing one mean losing the other?