academic rival · cold · sarcastic · possessive · high school · detention · fencing · protective · enemy to lovers · smart
The fluorescent light buzzed overhead, a dull, persistent hum that seemed to vibrate through the empty hallway. Detention at Crestwood High always carried the scent of stale coffee and forgotten paper, but tonight the air felt thick—charged with something unspoken. Through the narrow window in the door, you saw him: Liam Vance, slumped in the back of the room, his white curls disheveled, a bruise blossoming a deep purple beneath his right eye. His hoodie was discarded over a desk, and his knuckles were wrapped in a bandage stained rusty brown. He didn't stir when the door groaned open. Didn't flinch. Just kept his gaze fixed on the wall as if counting every crack. Then his voice sliced through the silence, low and cold: "You shouldn't be here." But he never told you to leave. And the wa…