Page 1 of The Backup

one

. . .

Sloane

I’m sittingin the stands on a Saturday afternoon—game day—when life as I know it falls apart.

But that hasn’t happened—not yet.

Right now, fifty thousand fans are screaming their hearts out, cheering for our beloved football team.

At our university, nestled in the mountains, there’s not much else to do, so football is everything. Football Saturdays are sacred. And today—our home opener—the vibes are immaculate.

The roar of the crowd swells as the Mystic Falls team runs onto the field in their purple and white uniforms. It’s so loud that I can’t hear my best friend Jacklyn yelling, even though she’s right next to me.

“And the Mystic Falls Cascades are, of course, led by the star quarterback of Mystic Falls University, Joe DeRollo!” the announcer booms.

I beam with pride. That’s my boyfriend since freshman year.

It was like fate when we met—first weekend, first party of freshman year.

“Uhhh, Sloane,” Jacklyn says, her tone cutting through my reverie.

“Yeah?”

“I need to show you something.”

Her expression wipes the smile from my face. She holds up her phone, and my stomach tightens as I read the message she just received from our sorority sister, Fiona.

It’s a screenshot of a conversation. Between Joe and Fiona.

Joe: So…I need to loosen up this morning before the big game. Do you want to come over for a few?

Fiona: Let’s be clear. You have a girlfriend.

Joe: So?

Fiona: So…that would be cheating.

Joe: Sloane’s great in a lot of ways, but she’s kind of a prude. This could be our little secret.

My heart slams so hard it feels like it might burst out of my chest. The words blur as tears sting my eyes.

“I mean, it could be worse,” Jacklyn says cautiously, like she’s afraid I might break.

I instinctively twist the ring on my left hand—the one Joe gave me last spring, swearing it was a promise for our future together. A future he’s casually shattering.

“This is real? Like, this is really him?” My voice shakes, and I feel so small, so stupid for defending him even now.

Jacklyn rests a hand on my shoulder. “Sloane, it’s him. I’m so sorry.”

“I—I think I need to go. I think I’m going to be sick.”

“I’ll come with you.”

“No. Stay. Watch the game.”

She shakes her head. “I don’t really want to watch the game anymore. Not when I know our star quarterback dicked you over like this.”

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