I'm not really sure how this happened, but right now I'm walking out of the football stadium with the most attractive guy I've ever laid eyes on. It's just me and Tyler. Alone. Together. Seriously, how is this real life?! Even if he's only being nice to his little sister's friend or he's taking pity on me because I'm the new girl, I still can't believe it's happening. I need to chill out before my head explodes.

"So...." I nervously climb into the passenger side of Tyler's Jeep. "I'm sure you've heard it plenty tonight, but I'll go ahead and say it again anyways. You guys had a really good game. You all played really well together. Your breakaway touchdown in the fourth quarter was really impressive."

"Thanks." Tyler looks a bit surprised. "I'm impressed you noticed. Most girls I talk to don't know anything about football, let alone actually watch me play. I thought all girls only came to the games to socialize."

"Oh..."

I hesitate for a second. Once again I'm proving myself to be totally different then the kind of girl Tyler would normally go after. But I already knew he put me in the friend zone so I guess it doesn't matter too much.

"It's not a bad thing Lila, I just meant you keep on surprising me. That's all." Tyler says, noticing my disappointed look.

"Gotcha. I guess my brothers have rubbed off on me more than I'd like to admit." I try to laugh off my insecurity. "They all played growing up. I was forced to watch a lot of their games over the years. Plus I've played my fair share of flag football in the yard with them so I guess I picked up the basics."

"Really? That explains why you can hit like a linebacker then." Tyler looks at me, a giant laugh bursts from his lips. I try to hold in my laughter at his teasing but can't.

"Are you ever going to let me live that down?

"Not likely."

"Didn't think so." I reply with an exaggerated eye roll.

"...So how many brothers do you have? Did they move to Romeo too?"

"No, they didn't." I say sadly. " I've got three older brothers. All of them live out of state right now. Charlie is my oldest brother and he's in Florida finishing up an internship. Lucas is in the middle. He's in California at art school and then Tuck is closest to my age. He just graduated last year and now he's in North Carolina at trade school."

"Wow. Three older brothers. That must have been intense." Tyler sounds surprised.

"You have no idea." I laugh. "But honestly, I don't think I would want it any other way."

"I hear ya. I feel the same way about me and Payton. We bicker with each other all the time about stupid stuff but in the end, I don't know what I would do if I didn't have her. I know she's my little sister but she's also one of my best friends. Since we're so close in age we've always done most everything together. She's the one person I know will always have my back through everything, ya know?"

"Yeah I get that. Charlie and I are the same way. I get how special it is." I say genuinely."...Do you think that' why it's so hard to let Payton go out with Jake?"

Tyler thinks for a minute before speaking. I can tell he feels conflicted, unsure how to answer me.

"I guess part of me feels like no guy will ever be good enough for her, ya know? Jake is a really good guy, and he's got a lot of great qualities, but it's still hard for me to wrap my head around them being together. Even someone as great as Jake who I've been friends with for a long time still doesn't seem good enough. I mean it's my job to protect Payton, so if he ever hurt her...I don't know what I would do to him!" Tyler's protective instincts bubble up to the surface. I see the gears in his head turning to all the worst case scenarios. After a moment he continues. "We definitely couldn't be friends anymore, I'll just say that. Maybe you think that sounds a bit extreme but it's the honest truth. I don't know, if this is making any sense. It's hard to explain—"

"You don't have to explain. I think I understand. It's actually really sweet. But can I say one thing?"

"Of course, anything." Tyler releases the tight grip he has on the steering wheel. Subconsciously relaxing into his seat as we drive.

"Coming from the perspective of someone who is the little sister; Sometimes brothers need to let us figure some stuff out on our own." I pause to let that sink in before I continue. "If you're always "protecting" Payton from every guy that could one day hurt her, then she never truly gets to live her life. I guess all I'm trying to say is, everyone should be able to make their own decisions. I know you mean well but don't you think it's time you trusted your sister enough to let her make some choices on her own?"

Tyler doesn't say anything, he doesn't have to. I can tell he's thinking about how he's probably made Payton feel the same way my brothers have made me feel over the years. His expression changes slightly as he contemplates my words. It's subtle but I can see his tough exterior melt into sadness and guilt. If I wasn't really studying him I would have missed how sensitive Tyler is inside despite how he comes off to most people.

We pull into the parking lot of the Dairy Barn. By the looks of it, half the town is already here. I see a lot of my classmates hanging out at picnic tables with milkshakes and ice cream sundaes, all having a good time together. It's a stark contrast to the emotionally charged conversation Tyler and I just had. I didn't mean for things to get so deep or bring the mood down. Somehow when I'm around him I always seem to say more than I should.

"We're here. Safe and sound. I told you I'm a good driver." Tyler gives me a little smirk, trying to change the conversation to a lighter subject.

"Thanks for the ride." I smile back. "I hope you don't think I overstepped just now, I wasn't trying to. It's just I know what it feels like to be in Payton's shoes. I haven't known Payton a real long time but for the little bit we have known each other she's been a true friend to me. All I was trying to do was repay back a little bit of the kindness she has shown to me. I know how much your blessing on her starting a relationship with Jake would mean to her. Obviously that's up to you, I can't make the decision for you, but do me a favor and think about it. I think you owe her at least that."

I'm grabbing my bag, about to hop out of Tyler's Jeep when we both see Payton pulling into the parking lot with Jake in the seat next to her. They look so happy together. Instinctively I turn to Tyler to gage his reaction. His hand tightens around the gear shift, his jaw tightening as he watches them flirt with one another. It's hard to read him right now. I wouldn't say he's flipping out like my brothers would be in this situation. It's more like an uncomfortable, pensive vibe he's giving off. Without thinking I grab his hand for support.

"Take a deep breath. Try not to overreact. Just hear them out." I say in a calm voice.

Tyler inhales deeply and turns his gaze so our eyes meet. His face softens with his blue eyes searching mine. Looking back at one another in what feels like a very intimate moment I realize I'm still holding his hand. Instantly panicked I snap my hand away from his as my face begins to flush.

"I'm so sorry. I don't know what I was doing. I didn't mean to make that awkward. Please forget I did that. I'm just gonna go." I ramble off.

I don't give Tyler the chance to reply because I've already scrambled out of his Jeep. I'm speed walking over to the table where my girlfriends are. Payton and Jake have already joined up with Kelly, Rachel and Claire. Mason, Chase and Brady, some of Tyler's other teammates, are also sitting with them. Everyone's eating ice cream, carrying on with each other. They pause when I walk up.

"Lila!!! We lost you at the game. How'd you get here? You good?" Kelly questions me.

"I drove her."

Tyler suddenly appears behind me. All the guys are happy to see him, giving him bro shakes and high fives. Rachel arches one eyebrow at Kelly and they silently converse. I feel myself starting to blush again. I try to hide my emotions the best I can so nobody notices.

"I found Lila all by herself at the field. Looked like she was getting swallowed up by the crowd so I interceded. She told me she was going to ride with you Pay but we both thought you looked a little preoccupied with Jake so I offered her a ride."

Payton chokes on the milkshake Claire was sharing with her, immediately looking panicked at Jake then back to Tyler again.

"Busted!" Kelly blurts out making everyone around the table laugh.

"Hey man, I was planning to talk to you. I didn't want to make anything weird betwe..." Jake gets cut off.

"Dude, it's all good. You don't have to say anything. I'm not saying I want to see you guys all over each other or anything because you know that definitely won't fly with me, but someone reminded me I should be a little less protective and a little more trusting of my sister." Tyler glances at me for a second and I give him a nod of encouragement. "I think it might be time that I ease up a little bit and start letting Payton make her own decisions. She's a smart girl and I trust her. If you're the guy she wants, then I can learn to live with that.... I think."

Everyone at our table is completely silent in shock.

"Thanks man, I really appreciate you being so cool about this." Jake says sincerely.

He looks stunned but also super relieved one of his best friends isn't angry with him. Payton sits frozen in her seat, unable to move or think. Its like her brain short circuited or something. Honestly, I'm almost as shocked as she is! I never would have guessed Tyler would take our conversation to heart so quickly.

Tyler clears his throat. "I swear though, if you hurt her—"

"Never! Don't worry about that. You know me, I would never do anything to hurt your sister. Please believe that." Jake pleads to his friend.

"I'm gonna hold you to that."

When everyone else around the table resumes their conversations I give Tyler a discrete smile before Mason pulls his attention away on something else. He really surprised me tonight. I wasn't expecting him to come full circle so quickly. I don't think any of my brothers would be able to do that. I can tell Tyler's got an uphill battle in front of him in terms of getting used to Payton being with his friend, but the fact he is willing to prioritize her happiness speaks volumes. He clearly loves Payton enough to make the sacrifice for her which may be the most attractive thing I've found about him yet. Oh great, another reason to like the guy I'm supposed to be forgetting about!

"Hey, we haven't officially met yet, I'm Brady Edwards." Says the handsome brunette seated on the other side of Claire.

"Hi, nice to meet you. I'm Lila."

"I know who you are. I think the whole school pretty much does at this point! Chase came to practice going on and on about the new girl who beat both Tanner and TJ on the first day of weight training. Coach B confirmed it too." Turning his head to make sure Tyler hears him, Brady continues. "I just wanted to shake the hand of the girl who put two varsity football stars to shame without breaking a sweat." Brady grins at Tyler while grabbing my hand to shake it.

"Yeah yeah, everyone's got jokes. I'd like to see you do better on the rope climb Edwards. It was like point four seconds difference by the way." Tyler knocks his friend in the shoulder.

"Don't feel bad Tyler, I can give you a few pointers if you want. Maybe I won't have to go half speed next time." I tease back.

"OOOOHHHHHHH! Dang Lila, I didn't know you had it in ya!" Mason gives me a high five.

Everyone erupts in laughter. I laugh along with them, a little bit of pride emanating off of me. It feels good to break out of my shy side and just be myself. I'm not normally someone who can open up in a social setting so quickly but this bunch of friends feel different. After the conversation I had with Tyler in his car, seeing a different side to him, it makes me feel like we've reached a new level in our friendship that it's ok to rag on him a little.

"That's my girl!" Payton squeezes my hand as the laughter dies down.

"So it's gonna be like that then? Everyone ganging up on me? I see you Lila Daniels. Two can play this game." Tyler grins, his blue eyes sparkling.

"We'll see about that." I shoot back with extra sarcasm.

"I'm buying this girl a milkshake. You're my new hero!" Chase interjects, scooping me from the table to head to the window. Behind us there's a little barn with a walk up counter you order at.

"That's very sweet of you Chase but don't feel like you have to buy my milkshake. I have cash I brought. I can pay for my own." I start pulling my wallet out.

"No really, my treat. I know we are only new friends, but I may have a favor to ask you anyways...." He gives me a sheepish smile.

"Already asking favors? Hmm, this should be good. Maybe I will let you pay!" I joke. I tell the girl at the window I want an Oreo milkshake which Chase happily pays for.

"So....cough it up. What's the favor that's got you bribing me with ice cream?"

Chase starts acting uncharacteristically shy. From the minute I met him in weight training he's been a complete open book, always talking someone's ear off.

"....Well, seeing as you've known our group of friends for only a week and you already managed to successfully get Jake and Payton together......I was kinda, sorta hoping you could help set me up with Kelly." He gives me a nervous smile. "I think she's so great, beautiful, funny but also a little intimidating and way out of my league. That's why I need your help."

"I see...." I look over towards the table we left all our friends at. Kelly keeps nonchalantly looking back at Chase and I. I've never asked her if she has feelings for Chase but between the way she's acting now and how she was low key flirting with him in weight training, I think the feeling is probably mutual. "Tell you what. I'll feel out the situation for you, ok? I don't know Kelly well enough yet to know if she's into you, but I'll do my best to put in a good word for ya."

"Ah that would be amazing Lila! You're the best!" Chase says with a big smile.

Just then the girl at the window hands me my milkshake and we head back to our table. Chase rejoins the guys talking about football stuff and I slide in with the girls. They are all busy talking about the weekend plans.

"Lila you're still coming with us to the Peach Fest Carnival tomorrow night, right?" Rachel asks me.

"Yeah it sounds fun. My only other Saturday night plans of watching Netflix in bed alone can wait." I joke.

"Perfect. Everyone is going to meet up at my house and we can walk over together." Payton tells me.

"I'll be there."

We stayed for a while longer at the Dairy Barn talking and drinking milkshakes as a big group. The more I got to know the guys it seemed like they are all really close with each other, much like how Payton, Rachel, Kelly and Claire are. At closing time we were the last ones to leave. All us girls piled into Payton's car to drive home.

"Ok now that we're alone you have to spill! We're dying to know how you ended up in TJ's car after the game! He never offers anyone a ride. On top of that, you somehow worked some voodoo magic to convince him Payton and Jake dating was a good thing. Girl you are unreal!" Kelly grills me before we're even out of the Dairy Barn parking lot.

Rachel and Claire join in with Kelly. Each of them wide eyed in anticipation. Payton probably would join in too if she wasn't focused on driving.

"I don't know...." I try to downplay things, I don't know if this is uncomfortable for Payton. Tyler is her brother after all and she is my closest friend since moving here. I don't want to jeopardize anything with our friendship. She still doesn't know about my little crush and I'd like to keep it that way. "I told Payton to go talk to Jake for a few minutes so I could find my parents. The next thing I know Tyler was standing there..... I may have brought up the fact that he was being ridiculous if he didn't let Payton and Jake try things out since I knew Payton was too scared to say anything." I turn to Payton. "You and Jake just looked so cute standing off in the corner alone and I could tell you were having a moment so I didn't want to interrupt things. When Tyler offered me the ride I said yes so I wouldn't third wheel on you. I hope you don't hate me for saying anything to him about you and Jake or feel like I crossed a line. I only wanted to help you out since you've helped me so much already."

"Hate you?! Girl, I LOVE you!" Payton beams from behind the steering wheel. "I don't know what you said to convince TJ into letting me go out with Jake, but I owe you girl! I've never seen TJ act like that before. Normally he's much more bull headed and stubborn which is why I was so nervous to talk to him in the first place. Whatever you said to him clearly was what he needed to hear. Thank you!"

I sigh in relief that she isn't mad. "I said what I would want someone to say to my brothers if I were in your situation. That's all."

"Well whatever it was, it worked!" Payton smiles happily to me.

"So Pay, now that you got the green light from TJ, you have to promise not to desert us for Jake all the time." Rachel jokes.

"I would never! Ya'll know me better than that. No guy will ever be able to break us apart!" Payton says enthusiastically.

"Speaking of new couples....I had an interesting talk with Chase when he bought me my milkshake." I turn to grill Kelly, our rolls reversed now."He was asking me to play matchmaker for him with you."

Kelly immediately blushes and can't hide the smile on her face.

"What did you tell him?!" Claire interjects.

"I was honest with him. I said I wasn't certain what Kelly's feelings were towards him but I'd put in a good word. I thought I picked up a vibe between you and him in weight training?" I ask Kelly, looking for confirmation.

"Well, no sense in denying it I guess. I think Chase is totally adorable!" Kelly gushes. "I've wanted him to ask me out for forever. Normally I can be super flirty and direct with guys but with him it's been harder for some reason. I think it's because I don't want Chase to be just some guy I go on a few dates with, I think I want a real relationship with him." She admits. It's nice seeing the softer, shyer side to Kelly.

"Dang Lila, you gonna find someone for me next?! You're like Cupid." Rachel adds with sarcasm.

"She doesn't have to, we all saw how Mason was making googly eyes at you tonight." Payton cuts in.

"Rachel is too stubborn to admit that Mason, the school's biggest flirt and ladies man actually likes her and she may have a thing for him too." Kelly says, poking Rachel in the arm with her index finger.

"Whatever." Rachel scoffs. "Even if he did like me then he's going to need to try a lot harder. I'm not going to melt into a puddle over some boy who is a self proclaimed ladies man. That's not my style. He'll have to work for it if he's serious." Rachel crosses her arms like she couldn't care less.

"We'll see about that. Mason's planning to come tomorrow night with the other guys to the carnival. I bet you two will be making out on the Ferris wheel before the night is over." Kelly teases, making the rest of us laugh.