In Chapter 21 we see Brianna struggling with her feelings for Ricardo, while he is trying his best to distance himself from her.
Brianna was certain that her feelings toward Ricardo were strictly friend-based, or at least she thought they were. Being away from Ricardo and not having access to him and his presence in her life has made Brianna realize how much she not only missed him as a friend but question whether those feelings were more.
Ricardo has decided he’s done with his heart and that no matter how much it will hurt him, he was going to move on and stay away from Brianna as much as possible.
Even going against his better judgment, he still attends the pep rally and, from his point of view, gets stung yet again. It drives him to a point of depression and wanting to just be alone. Even when, unbeknownst to him, Brianna is trying to talk to him about her feelings toward him, he pushes his heart aside and walks away from her.
When I’m writing, I try and put myself in my character’s shoes, and even right in that specific moment. I could feel the pain in Ricardo as he’s had to just harden himself at that moment and just walk away. No matter how much his heart is tugging on him to just listen, to just stop and give her time to talk, the constant heartaches he’s experienced win out.
Brianna realizes that maybe she’s too late.