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“I said what I said.” I lift my chin defiantly.

“Well, I’ll take it as a compliment.” He reaches out and flicks the bobblehead himself, making it nod frantically. “Though I think mini me here is much more charming.”

“Oh, definitely,” I agree solemnly. “The real you is a total ogre.”

Gerard laughs again. It’s a nice laugh, I decide. Rich and full-bodied like a good wine.

Jackson watches our exchange with barely concealed amusement. “You two are an adorable old married couple.”

I shoot him a withering glare. “Shut up, Jackson.”

But Gerard is unbothered by the comparison. “I don’t know. I think we’d make a pretty cute couple.” He winks at me, and my traitorous heart skips a beat.

To hide my flustered reaction, I turn my attention back to his locker and take in the rest of its contents.

There’s a well-worn copy ofThe Outsiderstucked into one corner, its pages dog-eared and spine cracked from repeated readings. A half-empty bottle of Gatorade sits next to it with condensation beading on the plastic.

But what really catches my eye is the cluster of Polaroid photos taped haphazardly to the side wall. They’re slightly faded and curling at the edges as if they’ve been there for a while.

Most of them are of Gerard with his teammates—their faces flushed and eyes glassy in a way that suggests they’re not entirely sober.

In one, Gerard has his arm slung around Drew’s shoulders asthey both grin goofily at the camera. In another, he’s giving Kyle a noogie while Oliver laughs in the background.

But there’s one photo that stands out from the rest. In it, Gerard is crouched down next to a little girl with the same golden hair and bright blue eyes as him. They’re both smiling widely, with their faces pressed close together to fit in the frame.

“Who’s that?” I ask before I can stop myself, pointing to the photo.

Gerard follows my gaze, and his expression softens. “That’s my little sister, Lily.” I detect a note of fondness in his voice. “She’s the light of my life.”

“She’s cute.” I study the photo more closely and surmise that she can’t be more than six or seven, at least when the picture was taken. Her cheeks are still round with baby fat. “You two look alike.”

“Yeah, we get that a lot.” Gerard’s smile turns wistful. “She’s the best. Smart as a whip and sassy as can be. Keeps me on my toes, that’s for sure.”

“I bet.” I try to picture Gerard being bossed around by a pint-sized version of himself. It’s an adorable mental image.

“Do you have any siblings?” He glances at me curiously.

I shake my head. “Nope. Only child.”

“That’s cool. Being an only child has its perks. Don’t get me wrong, I love Lily to death. But siblings can be a real handful sometimes. They always get into your stuff, hog the bathroom, rat you out to your parents…” He shakes his head ruefully, and a stray lock of golden hair falls into his eyes. “I bet it’s nice to have your parents’ undivided attention. You don’t have to compete with anyone or share the spotlight.”

I blink in surprise at what Gerard’s saying to me. I’ve never thought about it that way before. Being an only child has always been a curse rather than a blessing. Sure, I never had to fight for the last scoop of ice cream or worry about being made fun of for wearing hand-me-downs. But I also never had anyone to play withon lonely summer days or someone to commiserate with when my mom was being particularly unreasonable.

“I always wished for a sibling. Someone to share inside jokes with or to show me the ropes of getting through life. It gets pretty lonely sometimes being the only kid.”

Gerard nods sympathetically, his full lips pursing slightly. “I can see that. Grass is always greener and all that jazz, right?”

“Exactly.” I’m grateful that he understands. “But hey, at least now I have Jackson to keep me company. He’s been my surrogate brother since I got here.”

“Damn straight!” Jackson throws an arm around my shoulders and pulls me into his side. “I taught this one everything he knows. From how to get the nerve to skip class to flirting with girls—er, I guess that last one didn’t take, did it?”

I smack his stomach. “Shut up, Jackson. You’re not nearly as smooth as you think you are.”

Gerard chuckles at our antics. “You two are funny. I can see the brotherly love.”

Then he does something that takes my breath away. He reaches out and ruffles my hair affectionately. Every muscle in my body locks up tight as his fingers card through my short strands and inadvertently tug at the roots in a way that sends shivers down my spine.

I have the sudden, wild urge to lean into his ministrations like a touch-starved kitten. But I don’t. Because that would be weird and inappropriate. “We should probably get going, Jackson. I’m sure Gerard wants to go celebrate with his teammates.”