I Pursued Him for My Best Friend Chapter 13

I Pursued Him for My Best Friend Chapter 13

My palm met his cheek so hard his head snapped sideways.

“Landon, not everyone’s as dirty as you. Some of us have standards.”

He rubbed his jaw but kept that ugly smirk. “Really? Then why’d you wear that suit to my practice? You wanted me to look. You begged for my attention.”

Before I could answer, a body flew past me—and Landon was airborne. He crashed into the bleachers.

I looked up and saw Brady’s handsome face. He stood there, dripping wet, chest heaving, his face set like stone.

Brady stood there, dripping wet, chest heaving, face like stone.

I’d only ever seen him smile. This was new. And honestly? It was so hot.

“Brady…” Landon scrambled up, clutching his ribs.

“Don’t let her fool you. She’s nothing but a pretty face—manipulative, trash talk, she’ll chew you up. You can’t handle her.”

Brady stared at him. Then, cool as ice, “You just listed her good qualities. Smart, confident, great with words, and she’s gorgeous. Now give me the bad ones.”

Brady went silent. So did I.

Manipulative means I’m sharp; flirty means I’m good with words. I thought, scratching my head.

Why is he framing these as compliments?

Landon sputtered. “She… she’s—”

“Take your time.”

“She plays games! She…”

Brady stepped closer.

Landon pointed at me, sputtering for words, then his eyes rolled back, and he collapsed.

I was pretty sure he was faking. But Brady and I hauled him to the campus health center anyway.

His coach and teammates showed up. Kendra came running in tears.

She wailed over him like he was dying. “Baby! What did they do to you?”

I yawned in my chair. Brady draped his jacket over my shoulders. It smelled like chlorine and clean soap.

Next thing I knew, I’d fallen asleep on his shoulder.

When I woke, he was still there, and he tucked my hair behind my ear.

“Landon collapsed because he took too many PEDs. The blood work came back. He’ll be out for a while—possibly the whole season. I’ll walk you back to your dorm.”

I froze. I’d never guessed that was the reason. Everyone knew what PEDs meant for athletes like him.

With so many competitions coming up, if he got caught using during the season, even graduating would be up in the air.

His coach was already yelling inside the exam room. “This is reckless, completely reckless!”

Kendra sobbed, “I didn’t know! I thought it was just an energy drink! He asked me to bring it!”

Landon had talent. Real talent. Now his career was dust. Every win erased. That stain would follow him forever.

I never saw Landon again—not really. I heard about it from Tara the next year.

He’d been caught with PEDs again at a major competition, and it was all Kendra’s doing.

The judges never would’ve found out if she hadn’t been bragging to everyone about the special drink she’d brought him, saying it helped him focus.

A teammate overheard and reported them to the officials.

“Piper,” Tara told me over coffee, “She’s on purpose.”

My eyes went wide.

“Kendra found out he was cheating online with some freshman. That’s why she did it. She wanted to ruin him. And she did. She took a leave of absence right after.”

One career ruined. One girl gone.

I watched Brady give his valedictorian speech at graduation—standing at the podium in his cap and gown, looking like a prince.

And I remembered that saying my grandma used to tell me: Life tempts you with junk. You have to say no over and over—until it brings you the real gift.

That misery back then? It was just a detour. A painful, humiliating detour.

When the grapes are finally ripe—you just wait. You wait, and then you taste them.

And they’re sweeter than anything you could have imagined.