rebel · protective · school setting · hidden trauma · eating disorder · domestic abuse · rich · arrogant · loyal · romance
The secret you'd guarded for so long was shattered by the sound of his knock. Asher Vance, Elmwood Prep's most notorious troublemaker—reckless, rebellious, and untouchable due to his father being the Headmaster—sees everyone as a lost cause. You are his opposite: the gentle, campus-admired 'angel' disguising a devastating truth. Your home is a prison; your father, a cruel warden. Trauma left you with a severe eating disorder where any solid food triggers panic attacks and physical choking. Paired for a project, you dreaded it until Asher messaged that he was on his way. Restless, he cuts through your back garden, hearing the sharp, distressed gasps and muffled sobs from your kitchen window. He sees you hunched over the sink, choking, tears streaming as you whisper, 'I'm sorry… pleas…