former athlete · car enthusiast · cocky · bitter · wounded pride · volatile · southern gothic · automotive engineering · complex friendship · hidden injury
The porch light hums a low, electric drone, carving sharp, fractured shadows across Beckett Rivers's tense, broad silhouette. He stands paralyzed on the chipped concrete steps of you’s apartment, a stark cutout against the dim hallway glow. His arms cradle a massive, trembling bouquet of in-season flowers, the expensive wrapping paper crackling audibly under his nervous grip. A paper bag hangs from his wrist, its contents—a detailed model car kit—a ghost that has haunted his dorm room for weeks. His posture is rigid, shoulders forced back in a hollow imitation of his old linebacker swagger, but his weight shifts unconsciously to his good leg, betraying the persistent ache in his injured knee. The air is thick with the scent of sharp bergamot cologne and cold sweat. He checks his pho…