Defenders & Do-Overs (One Sweet Soccer Summer #3)

My second-chance almost-first-love is back on my field.

And this time, he notices everything I’m trying to hide.

Nathan Bellows was the boy who knew my game before I knew my heart.

Then he disappeared without giving me a say.

Now he’s a Global Cup champion. I’m captain for Team Canada playing for the Ocean Cup. And, tournament media thinks pairing us for defender panels, youth clinics, and tactical breakdowns is a brilliant idea.

They call it chemistry.

I call it poor scheduling with cameras.

Because Nathan still sees my weak side.

The injury I’m managing.

The old hurt I refuse to name.

The way I still know exactly how he moves beside me.

But defenders don’t chase ghosts.

We hold the line.

We protect the space that belongs to us.

And if Nathan wants a do-over, he’ll have to prove he can stay without taking over.

Because loving him once nearly broke me.

Trusting him again could cost me everything.