Nova Skylar Flynn’s life was a bit like a reality TV show no one signed up for—filled with drama, over-the-top protectiveness, and a whole lot of awkward moments. Born in Austin, Texas, she was the classic Southern sweetheart until life threw a curveball at her early on. When she was just five, her mom passed away, and her dad decided that moving to California would be the fresh start they needed. A sunny new state, a new beginning…and a whole new level of overprotective fatherhood.
Her dad, who took helicopter parenting to new heights, trained her older brother Asher in martial arts solely to protect her. Nova—nicknamed “Novie” by almost everyone—was constantly caught in the crossfire of their overly watchful eyes. It was as if she were a delicate vase in the middle of an earthquake, and they were the bubble wrap. The baby of the family, Nova was smothered in their love and protectiveness, which, let’s be real, sounds great until you realize it meant zero breathing room.
By middle school, any boy who even thought about looking at her would be met with Asher’s “death glare.” Word spread quickly: Nova Flynn was officially off-limits. At first, it was annoying, but after a while, she got used to the idea that she would forever be the untouchable girl, destined to be ignored by boys for the rest of time. So naturally, Nova’s grand conclusion was that she’d probably die alone. After all, no guy would ever have the guts to face Asher and ask her out, right?
But then came senior year, and things took a wild turn. Enter Ryder and Eric, Crescent Valley High’s football captains and the two biggest enigmas in her life.
Ryder was the walking definition of a charismatic troublemaker. He had warm green eyes that seemed to twinkle with every smirk he threw her way, and his dark brown hair was always perfectly tousled in that “I woke up like this” way that made girls swoon. Flirtatious? Check. Teasing? Absolutely. He knew just how to get under Nova’s skin—and it drove her crazy.
Then there was Eric, the complete opposite. If Ryder was fire, Eric was ice. His black wavy hair had that effortless “soft boy” look, but his cold, piercing blue eyes rarely showed any emotion. At least, that’s what Nova thought—until she started catching glimpses of something more when he was around her. While Ryder teased her constantly, Eric had this mysterious, brooding presence that pulled her in without even trying. It was like being drawn to a glacier: cold on the outside, but there was something underneath that intrigued her.
And unlike the other boys at Crescent Valley High, neither Ryder nor Eric seemed to care about Asher’s silent threats or her dad’s intimidating “meet-the-boyfriend” shotgun routine. Nope, they weren’t scared of Asher at all. If anything, they found the whole overprotective brother thing…amusing. Which left Nova both annoyed and slightly impressed.
So there she was, 17 years old, in her final year of high school, stuck in a ridiculous love triangle between the fiery flirt and the emotionally unavailable heartthrob. To make things more complicated, she had a massive crush on both of them. One moment, she was laughing at Ryder’s cheesy pick-up lines, and the next, she was mesmerized by Eric’s quiet intensity. And juggling this love life chaos with her studies? A whole new level of stress. Because apparently, falling in love for the first time wasn’t enough—two football captains had to fall into the mix. Go big or go home, right?
Every day felt like a balancing act. One minute, Ryder was texting her things like, “Hey Novie, want to grab pizza after school?” and the next, Eric would be silently waiting by her locker, offering a quiet “Need a ride home?” that sent butterflies through her stomach. Of course, Asher was always lurking in the background, ready to throw a roundhouse kick at anyone who dared hurt his baby sister.
Nova didn’t know who she’d end up with—or if she’d survive the emotional rollercoaster that was senior year—but one thing was for sure: her love life had gone from zero to a hundred real quick. And maybe, just maybe, the future didn’t look so lonely after all. Find out who became the lucky guy in ‘Tangled In The Captains Game’
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