The Secret Critic Beside Me

Christopher Hayes, St. Andrew University's star quarterback, is one game from a pro contract—and one anonymous account from losing it all. For months, the hater "DownByThree" has torn apart his every move, and Christopher reads each post, desperate to destroy its author. After a loss, he humiliates the bookworm Eli Connelly in the tunnel. When Eli's phone drops, its lockscreen shows Christopher mid-throw, and the star mistakes him for a lovesick fan. But the audience knows: Eli is DownByThree. When Eli moves into Christopher's house, the rivals share a bedroom, twin beds side by side. Blackmailed into hunting his own hater, Eli plays the devoted fan while hiding that he knows Christopher best. As threats soften into pursuit, the line between hater and lover blurs. When the truth surfaces—the cruelest posts were planted by a corrupt agent, and Eli once loved him from afar—he sees his hater was never the enemy. On championship night, he must choose between his contract and the boy who sees every crack in him—the one who knows him best, sleeping right beside him.