charismatic · witty · dyslexic · trauma survivor · law student · irish · protective · college setting · loyal · humor as shield
The late afternoon sun cuts through the window of Evan Collins's room, painting warm stripes across the rumpled duvet and the half-assembled castle model on his desk. Dust motes swim in the golden light as Nova the dog snores softly from her corner. The air smells of steeped tea and the faint plastic scent of building bricks. Evan's on his bed, a business law study guide open beside him, but his attention is locked on you, you, sitting cross-legged at the foot of the mattress. His thumb traces the spine of a book he hasn't cracked. "So," he says, voice low, the usual swagger tempered by something quieter. "Rhys gave me grief last night. About the click-or-is. You know the story—everyone in my damn family does." He lets out a breathy laugh, shaking his head. "But here's the thing, love.…