Across The Yard

CHAPTER THREE

I was sprawled across my bed, phone balanced in my hands, watching a replay of last season’s championship game. My team had played well, but the defense could’ve been tighter. I found myself muttering at the screen, shaking my head when a guard missed an open shot.

That’s when I heard it.

Thump. Thump. Thump.

The sound of a ball bouncing steadily outside.

I frowned, pushing my phone aside and crossing the room. When I pulled back my curtains, my eyes widened.

There he was. Noah Lawson, in his driveway, dribbling like he had the court to himself. His form was good—annoyingly good—and each shot he took sailed clean through the net nailed above his garage. He moved with the kind of focus that made it hard to look away.

I leaned against the window frame, telling myself I wasn’t staring. Just… observing. For research. Totally innocent.

Then the ball bounced wrong, ricocheting off the rim, and—smack—straight through my open window.

I jumped back. “Seriously?”

Noah looked up, smirk already plastered across his face. “Guess my aim’s better than I thought.”

I rolled my eyes. “You nearly broke my lamp.”

“Relax, Evans. Just toss it back.” He folded his arms, waiting like he knew I’d listen.

I gripped the ball instead, tapping it against my hip. “Or maybe I keep it. You know, hostage until you learn some manners.”

His smirk deepened. “Or maybe you stop stalling and come play me. Unless you’re scared you’ll lose.”

Rage bait. Classic. My jaw tightened. “Scared? Please. I’ll take you any day.”

Five minutes later, I was out on the driveway in my sneakers, ponytail pulled tight. He looked entirely too satisfied as he passed me the ball.

“First to ten,” he said.

“Fine.”

We played hard. His height gave him an advantage, and he used it shamelessly. Still, I wasn’t easy. I dodged, pivoted, landed shots that wiped the grin off his face—at least temporarily. But in the end, he scored seven to my four, winning before I could claw my way back.

“Not bad, Evans,” he said between breaths, hands on his knees. “For someone who’s all talk.”

I smacked the ball back at him, making him catch it against his chest. “You got lucky.”

He laughed, and for once it didn’t sound smug—it sounded real.

We collapsed on the curb, sweat cooling in the night air. I hugged my knees to my chest, trying not to admit I was out of breath.

“So,” he said after a beat, turning his head toward me. “Reintroductions? I’m Noah Lawson. Nineteen. Professional driveway champion.”

I snorted. “Lila Evans. Eighteen. Soon-to-be national star, obviously.”

“Confident. I like it.” He leaned back on his palms, eyes flicking up toward the stars.

We sat on the curb, the night air cool against my sweaty skin. My breathing finally steadied, though I refused to admit I was still catching up from chasing him around the driveway. The ball sat between us, silent proof of my loss.

I nudged it with my sneaker. “You play dirty.”

Noah chuckled, brushing damp hair off his forehead. “It’s called strategy.”

“Cheating,” I corrected, and he laughed again—low, warm, nothing like the smug tone he carried in school. For the first time, it made me… smile.

A long pause stretched between us, broken only by the hum of cicadas and the distant bark of a neighbor’s dog. He leaned back on his palms, staring up at the dark sky like it held secrets only he understood.

I tilted my head at him. “Why are you out here anyway? Shouldn’t you be inside with your dad? You guys just moved in. Don’t people usually… I don’t know, eat pizza, unpack boxes together?”

For a second, his expression shifted. Not annoyed, not cocky—just quieter. His smirk slipped like a mask coming loose.

“My dad’s not really the sit-around-and-hang-out type,” he said finally. “He’s a doctor. Cardiac surgeon. His hours are crazy—nights, weekends, whatever they need. Half the time, I don’t even know when he’s coming or going.”

“Oh.” I hugged my knees tighter, suddenly unsure what to say. “That sounds… hard.”

He shrugged, like it didn’t matter. “It is what it is. Been that way for years. Just me and him, and most days, just me.”

The weight in his voice made me look at him more closely. He wasn’t showing off now. No swagger, no baiting smile. Just honesty.

I wanted to ask about his Mom, but I decided not too. We hadn’t gotten close enough for him to tell me other things about himself.

“Still,” I said softly, “he saves lives. That’s something to be proud of.”

His jaw flexed, and he looked down at his hands. “Yeah. Guess so.”

Another silence followed, but it wasn’t uncomfortable. My eyes drifted over him—sweaty, hair sticking to his forehead, chest rising and falling. He caught me staring, of course, and his smirk returned.

“What?” he asked.

I rolled my eyes fast enough to cover my slip. “Nothing. Just trying to figure out how you only managed seven. Thought you’d at least make ten.”

He laughed, shaking his head. “Cocky.”

“Says the smug king of the driveway,” I shot back, and for a moment, we both smiled at the same time.

The silence stretched, heavier now, filled with something I couldn’t quite name. My chest tightened the longer I sat there, too aware of how close he was, how his arm brushed against the curb when he shifted.

It was overwhelming—dangerously so.

I wasn’t supposed to notice things like the way his laugh sounded when it wasn’t smug, or the way his eyes softened when he talked about his dad, or the fact that sitting here with him didn’t feel like the enemy lines I’d drawn in my head.

I cleared my throat, standing quickly. “Well. That was… something. But I should head in before my mom starts yelling about homework.”

Noah tilted his head, watching me carefully. For a second, I thought he might call me out—might smirk and tell me I was running away. But instead, he just nodded.

“Yeah. It’s late.” He picked up the ball, spinning it once on his fingertips before tucking it under his arm. “Good game, Evans.”

I forced a smile, backing toward my door. “Don’t get used to winning. Next time, I’ll crush you.”

His grin curved slow, that familiar smugness returning, but this time it felt… lighter. “Looking forward to it.”

I hesitated at the door, fingers curling around the handle. “Goodnight, Lawson.”

“Goodnight, Evans.”

The way he said it—low, steady, almost gentle—sent a rush through me I wasn’t ready to face. I slipped inside quickly, shutting the door behind me and pressing my back against it, heart thudding like I’d just run another game.

This was dangerous.

Because for the first time, I realized Noah Lawson wasn’t just annoying.

Maybe he just wasn’t who I thought he was.

Noah

I didn’t expect my night to go the way it did. Playing with Lila was challenging and exciting, like every shot she made was daring me to try harder. She wasn’t just good—she was relentless. For the first time in a long while, I went to bed with a smile tugging at my mouth. Not that I’d ever admit that to her.

Morning came fast, and school was the same blur of stares and whispers it had been since I walked in on my first day. By lunch, Daniel was already trailing me down the hall, tossing a ball from one hand to the other like he couldn’t sit still.

The cafeteria was chaos—noise bouncing off the walls, people jostling for tables, the smell of pizza and fries thick in the air. A typical high school scene, just bigger and louder than I remembered from back home.

We slid onto a bench, trays clattering down, the rest of the team gathering around. Daniel sat across from me, grinning like he knew something I didn’t. His eyes flicked toward the doors, then back at me.

“So, Lawson,” he said, drawing out my name like he wanted to make sure everyone at the table was listening. “Word is—you’re neighbors with Lila Evans?”

My fork paused halfway to my mouth. I glanced at him, expression flat. “Yeah. Why?”

Daniel’s grin widened. “Just asking. She’s one of the best players on the girls’ team. And… her friend Maya” His gaze drifted toward the entrance just as three familiar figures walked in. “Let’s just say I wouldn’t mind getting to know her better.”

The guys broke into laughter, tossing each other looks. Daniel tried to play it cool, but it was obvious he was hooked. Maya must’ve had him in a chokehold already, though he’d never admit it.

I didn’t say anything. But my eyes found Lila in an instant. She strolled in beside her friends, laughing at something Jen said, her ponytail bouncing with each step. She didn’t look my way, but it didn’t stop me from noticing the way her presence shifted the room, like people couldn’t help paying attention.

“Hey, Noah,” a voice cut in, syrupy and too close. Tasha. She slid onto the bench beside me, pressing her shoulder against mine as if she belonged there. “You settling in okay?”

I didn’t even glance at her. Just stabbed a piece of food with my fork. “Fine.”

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Lila’s gaze flick toward us, quick but sharp, before she turned back to Maya and Jen. Something tightened in my chest, though I told myself it didn’t matter.

The guys noticed too, their grins turning sly. One of them nudged Daniel. “Hey, we’re throwing a party this weekend. Friday night. You should come, Lawson. Might be good to, you know, break in the new guy.”

“Yeah,” another added, smirking. “Everyone’s gonna be there. Evans too.”

Daniel’s eyes lit up at that, probably already picturing Maya. The others waited for my answer, but I just leaned back, pushing my tray away.

“Maybe,” I said, keeping my tone flat.

But inside, I was already thinking about how messy this was about to get.

Lila

I spotted him before I wanted to. Noah, sitting with Daniel and the rest of the guys, head bent over his tray like he couldn’t care less about the noise around him. Except he wasn’t alone. Tasha was practically glued to his side, leaning in like she had some secret only he deserved to hear.

My stomach tightened before I could stop it. Annoying. I tore my eyes away, forcing my attention back on Maya and Jen as we slid into a table nearby.

Jen raised an eyebrow, following my gaze. “Well, look at that. Seems like someone already has a fan club.”

“Two days in and Tasha’s attached herself to him,” Maya muttered, rolling her eyes. “Classic.”

I stabbed my fork into my food a little harder than necessary. “She can have him,” I said quickly. Too quickly.

“Uh-huh,” Maya repeated, smirking like she was filing that away for later.

Before I could come up with something to wipe the smugness off her face, a group of guys passed our table, talking loud enough for half the cafeteria to hear.

“Party this Friday at Ryan’s,” one of them said. “Gonna be huge. Everyone’s invited.”

Maya’s eyes lit up immediately. “We are so going.”

Jen nodded. “Definitely. We’ll need outfits.”

I hesitated. My parents would never let me out that late, especially not to some house party. “Yeah, except you guys know my mom would sooner lock me in my room than let me go.”

Maya smirked like she’d already solved the problem. “Easy. Group study night at my place. Your parents trust me.”

Jen snorted. “Barely.”

Maya kicked her under the table. “Shut up. It’ll work. We’ll make popcorn, spread some books around, and your parents will think we’re the most responsible group of honor students alive.”

I chewed on my lip, considering it. The thought of lying made me twitchy—but the thought of staying home while everyone else had fun made me twitchier.

“Fine,” I said at last. “But if we get caught, I’m blaming you.”

Maya grinned, triumphant. “As always.”

We cleared our trays after lunch, and the three of us headed down the hall toward the locker rooms. Basketball practice. Just another part of my day, except now, I couldn’t stop thinking about who else would be there.

Because like it or not, Noah Lawson wasn’t just my neighbor anymore. He was also my teammate’s new favorite player. Which meant avoiding him was about to get a whole lot harder.