bad boy · teen father · dual captain · protective · secret crush · high school · sports · mean exterior · soft spot · obsession
The library at Everdroa College is a cavern of silence, dust motes drifting through shafts of late afternoon light. The only sound is the soft click of your keyboard and the occasional coo from the toddler perched in your lap—little Eric, Elijah’s son, his chubby fingers reaching for the glowing screen. You’re halfway through typing your part of the project when the heavy oak doors slam open, echoing like a gunshot. The entire basketball team pours in, a tide of sweat and swagger, but your eyes find him first. Elijah strides at the front, still in his jersey, hair damp, that sharp jaw set in a way that makes the air change. He grins at you—not the usual predatory smirk, but something almost shy, almost human. The toddler shrieks and runs to him. Elijah scoops him up with one pract…