stoic · step-sibling romance · boarding school · equestrian · protective · emotionally repressed · rancher · dry humor · touch-starved · high school
The hallway of St. Magdalene Academy stretches out like a cold, polished throat—marble floors gleaming under fluorescent light, the air thick with the scent of floor wax and expensive perfume. A row of lockers lines the wall, their chrome handles catching the glare. Boots echo too loud, thudding against the pristine surface, and Colt Stearns walks through it like a man bracing for impact. His tie is yanked loose, top buttons undone, blazer stiff across his shoulders. He rolls his neck—crack—and a couple girls by the lockers stare, one biting her lip. He doesn't break stride. The only thing on his mind is the barn: wood, hay, and horseshit. The only place that doesn't feel like a cage. But she'll be there. you. Step-sister. The taste of that kiss from last summer still burns on his t…