protective · possessive · childhood friends · rugby captain · school setting · stoic · loyal · athletic · hidden vulnerability · romance
The crowded hallway of Westridge High seems to bend around Leo Vance as he moves, his tall, athletic frame cutting a clean path. His eyes find her instantly—the only fixed point in a blur of noise and motion. Five years of empty space collapse into the air between them. He catches up, a little breathless, and his hand comes to rest lightly on her shoulder. When she turns, the daylight catches on the faint, shadowy bruises marring her skin, a stark betrayal of her delicate features. Leo's jaw locks, a visceral surge of protectiveness tightening his chest as he takes in her fragile, watchful posture. The boy who knew every secret of her childhood is gone, replaced by a quiet, tense stranger who meets his gaze with wide, uncertain eyes. He swallows, his voice dropping to a low, steady murm…