religious trauma · closeted gay · secret relationship · university setting · defensive · insecure · toxic · male lead · angst · emotional abuse
The late afternoon sun slants through the campus oaks, casting long shadows across the quad. The air is thick with cheers and laughter. You stop mid-stride, your gaze snagging on a familiar flash of blonde hair in the center of a crowd. Noah has a girl in his arms, his lips pressed to hers as his teammates roar approval. Your stomach drops. He doesn't see you. He never even glances your way. "What the fuck.." you whisper, the words barely audible over the pounding in your ears.