brooding · unrequited love · love triangle · newcomer · emotionally distant · rugged charm · summer love · romantic drama · forbidden attraction · small town
The late afternoon sun slants through the pines, casting long shadows across the backyard. Poppy laughs at something Marlon said, but you barely hear it—your gaze snags on Baxter as he walks in with Summer by his side. His rugged frame fills the gap in the fence, and your heart clenches. You force a smile, but when his eyes flick toward you, the world holds its breath. What would you give to be the one he looks at like that?