Sizing Up the Cadet

My best friend started dating the hottest, richest guy on campus.

When she posted the official relationship announcement, my comment was instantaneous: Ask him if he has any friends.

A second later, she sent me a picture: her new boyfriend with his crew. Every single one of them was a ten.

Her text: Take your pick.

I chose the most handsome one. The impossible one.

Six months later, I sent her a message: I cant do this. Maybe I should just pick a different one?

1

My best friend, Olivia, had officially bagged the campus king.

Looking at the picture shed just posted to her Instagram storyher, tucked under Carter Brookss arm like she was born thereI immediately fired back a comment.

So does he have a brother?

A second later, a photo landed in my DMs. It was Carter with two of his friends, all of them offensively good-looking.

Livs text followed: Take your pick.

I stared at the screen, genuinely torn between two entirely different flavors of handsome. One had eyes that crinkled at the corners and a smirk playing on his thin lips. He was gorgeous, but in a way that screamed I break hearts for sport. A player.

The other one his face was all sharp angles and unforgiving lines. His lips were pressed together, his gaze drilling into the camera with an intensity that made my breath catch. He was my type, exactly my type, which usually meant one thing: he was going to be difficult.

To hell with difficult. I was in.

I circled the second guys face and sent it back to Liv.

I want that one.

A few minutes later, his dossier arrived.

Ethan Scott. 62, 185 lbs. Cadet at the military academy across town.

Oh, god. A cadet. I glanced down at my own body. I was almost his weight.

That evening, Liv organized a small get-together. Staring at my reflection, at the soft curve of my stomach pushing against the fabric of my dress, a familiar wave of doubt washed over me. It was no surprise Liv had landed Carter Brooks; she was the kind of effortlessly beautiful girl who commanded attention just by walking into a room. Me? I had to hold my breath to comfortably zip up a size 12. Could I really pull this off?

My phone rang. It was Liv.

Sophie, you better bring your A-game tonight. Dress to kill.

Liv, maybe I should just bail, I mumbled, already starting to lose my nerve. Carter Brooks was a legend on campus, a guy from a family with a name. His friends were bound to be in the same league.

Sophie Miller! Dont you dare, she commanded, her voice sharp. The opportunity is right in front of you. Think about that face. Think about the life that comes with a guy like that. This isnt a date, its a lottery ticket.

Fine. Lottery ticket. I was all in.

I squeezed into a little black dress, wobbled my way into a pair of heels I never wore, and headed out.

Liv had picked a chic rooftop bar. When she saw me, she waved me over with a grin. Soph, over here!

I slid into the booth next to her. Carter was on her other side, and across from them, there he was. Ethan Scott. His presence was even more striking in person. Id never seen a guy look so good with a buzz cut. He wore a plain white button-down, but on him, it looked less like a piece of clothing and more like a statement of severe, untouchable discipline. An aura of pure, unfiltered stoicism.

I took a gulp of water to calm the frantic hummingbird in my chest.

This is my best friend, Sophie, Liv announced.

And this is Ethan Scott, Carters friend, she added, giving me a pointed little wink.

I managed a smile and a small wave. He returned it with a slow, deliberate nod.

Hey, Liv, what about me? a voice complained from Ethans side. It was the other guy from the picture, the one with the player smile. My god, tonight was a feast for the eyes. My life was officially looking up.

Hi, Im Noah, he said, arching an eyebrow in a way that was clearly practiced.

Sophie, I replied.

The night devolved into a game of Truth or Dare. When the empty beer bottle spun and landed squarely on me, Liv gave me a subtle thumbs-up.

Dare, I said, my voice steadier than I felt.

Livs eyes lit up. Make eye contact with any guy at this table for thirty seconds. No breaking.

There was no question who Id choose. I locked eyes with Ethan. His gaze was like a physical weight, deep and unreadable. My heart started hammering against my ribs so loudly I was sure he could hear it. Calm down, you idiot. Hes going to hear you.

When the bottle pointed at me a second time, I shot a look at the instigator. Could you be any more obvious, Liv?

I chose dare again.

Ask a guy here for his number, Liv declared, loving the drama. If he says no, you chug three drinks.

My hands were trembling as I pulled out my phone. I angled it toward Ethan. Hi. Could I get your number?

He seemed to finally catch on to the setup, and a slight frown creased his forehead. The moment stretched, thick with awkward silence. Finally, after a sharp nudge from Liv, Carter spoke up. Come on, Ethan. Its just a number. The ladys asking. Dont be an ass.

In the end, I walked away with his contact saved in my phone.

2

From that day on, I made it my mission to text-harass Ethan Scott. He mostly left me on read, and when he did reply, it was with curt, one-word answers.

Liv told me this wasnt going to cut it. You have to get him in person, Soph! Physical proximity creates sparks!

I knew she was right. But looking at my reflection, at the soft, rounded version of myself in the mirror, I made a decision. I was going on a diet.

That afternoon, I signed up for a gym membership. My goal was to get down to 130 pounds, which meant shedding thirty pounds of flesh that loved hot pot, barbecue, and late-night snacks more than anything. God, it was going to be torture.

But maybe love really was magic. The next day, as I was sweating on the treadmill, I pictured Ethans severe, handsome face, and my legs pumped a little faster.

Which is why I wanted the floor to swallow me whole when I ran into him at that very gym, dressed in a baggy, sweat-stained gray sweatsuit, my face bare and flushed.

He stopped short when he saw me, a flicker of surprise in his eyes. I forced a smile that felt more like a grimace. Hey!

A corner of his mouth twitched, amused by my mortified expression. I thought you were studying at the library.

I froze, remembering the text Id sent him half an hour ago. My face burned. I was trying to have a secret transformation, to emerge from my cocoon as a beautiful butterfly, and here he was, seeing me as a sweaty caterpillar.

Uh I scratched my head, scrambling for an excuse. Yeah, I was. Schools just so stressful, you know? Came to run it off.

The cringe was unbearable.

He didnt press it. He just took off his jacket and started lifting weights, his muscles flexing under his shirt. Watching the clean, powerful lines of his arms, I silently increased the speed on my treadmill.

For the next month, the gym became my sanctuary and my hunting ground. Seeing Ethan there was my primary motivation. We graduated from awkward silence to the occasional joke. The number on the scale dropped from 160 to 150. My clothes went from a Large to a Medium.

When Liv saw me again, she grabbed my hands and spun me around. Sophie! Youve lost so much weight!

What can I say? I havent tasted barbecue in a month. All for the love of Ethan Scott.

Thats some serious willpower, she said, giving me an impressed thumbs-up.

While we were out shopping, Liv picked out a blue, off-the-shoulder dressa style and color I would have never dared to try before. When I stepped out of the fitting room, Livs jaw dropped.

Wow, Soph. That dress was literally made for you.

I looked at my reflection. I was still a little soft around the edges, but for the first time in a long time, I liked what I saw.

3

That night, I was lying in bed, sending a barrage of texts to Ethan that were going unanswered. This was unusual. After weeks of my relentless campaign, hed started responding regularly, even initiating a bit of banter.

Then, my phone rang. It was Liv.

Sophie, you need to get over here. Now. Its a code red.

What is it?

Your competition just showed up.

Alarms blared in my head. I shot out of bed, threw on the new blue dress, and raced to the bar shed sent me the location of.

When Ethan saw me, his eyes widened in surprise. My gaze immediately slid to the girl sitting next to him. She was dressed head-to-toe in designer labels, her hair a sheet of perfect silk. Every inch of her screamed expensive, effortless polish.

Hi, she said, her smile perfectly pleasant. Im Amelia Reed. Ethan and I went to high school together.

I mirrored her smile, dialing up the sweetness. Hi! Im Sophie Miller. Im Ethans workout buddy.

Ethan stared at me, his eyes wide as dinner plates. I fluttered my eyelashes at him, laying the damsel act on thick. He looked so startled he grabbed his drink and took a nervous sip. I heard Liv choke back a laugh from across the table. Amelias perfect smile tightened just a fraction.

After that, I ramped up my pursuit. Whenever I had a free moment, Id head over to the academy, watching him during his training sessions. His classmates started to recognize me.

Hey, Scott, your girlfriends here again! Lucky bastard! theyd yell.

Ethan would just shake his head, a resigned look on his face. Shes not my girlfriend.

The days bled into weeks, and summer turned to fall. My relationship with Ethan, however, remained completely stalled. I complained to Liv that the man was a fortress, impossible to breach. The one silver lining was that my body was transforming. I was getting closer and closer to my goal weight.

On Ethans birthday, I showed up at his house with a watch Id spent weeks saving for.

He took the gift from my hands. Thank you, he said, his voice low.

Noah popped up from out of nowhere. Sophie, whoa! You look different.

How different?

Different enough that Im about to fall in love. You should give up on Ethan and give me a shot. He said it with a dramatic flair that made me laugh.

Noah, rack the balls, Ethan said, his tone suddenly sharp.

Watching Ethan lean over the pool table was a form of exquisite torture. If he looked that good just bending over a table, I could only imagine what hed look like anywhere else.

Hey. Wipe your drool, its getting on the floor. Liv nudged me.

All I can do is drool, I sighed. Ive been at this for three months. If it hasnt happened by now, its never going to happen.

Has he given you any sign? Anything at all?

I shook my head, my good mood deflating.

Seriously, man, do you like Sophie or not?

I was coming out of the bathroom when I heard Noahs voice and froze.

I dont know, Ethan replied.

What do you mean, you dont know? Do you get that, like, heart-pounding, butterflies-in-your-stomach feeling when you see her?

A pause.

No.

My nails dug into my palms. I let out a quiet, bitter laugh at my own foolishness. In the adult world, a non-answer is an answer. A lack of response is a rejection. How had I been so blind?

4

I didnt see Ethan for a week. After hearing those two words, something inside me finally clicked into place. You cant force someone to love you.

I stared at myself in the mirrorhair a tangled mess, dark circles under my eyes. I looked pathetic.

After a long shower, I sent Liv a message, trying to make a joke out of my heartbreak.

Hes impossible. Guess Ill just have to find someone else.

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