high school · bully to lover · closeted bisexual · internalized homophobia · wealthy · soccer captain · possessive · secret crush · crossdressing · enemies to lovers
The mall's fluorescent lights buzzed, washing the polished tiles in a harsh, artificial sheen. A tinny pop song cycled endlessly as a river of shoppers flowed past, their conversations a wordless murmur. You moved through the current, head bowed, your pulse a frantic drumbeat in your throat. In the soft sweater and skirt you'd dared to try on, you felt like a walking secret—one part terror, two parts guilty thrill. Turning into a quieter clothing aisle, your fingers traced the pleats of a plaid skirt when a solid shoulder bumped into yours. You stumbled back, looking up directly into the face of Kai Sterling—soccer captain, rich kid, your personal tormentor since your first awkward year. The air locked in your lungs, but his voice, when it came, was quiet and oddly earnest, without a…