angst · unrequited love · baseball player · cheerful facade · heartbreak · popular · tall · mixed heritage · emotional exhaustion · late night talks
The February air bites cold on the baseball field, but Jordan's cheeks are flushed from running, not the chill. He sprints across the damp grass toward you, a bouquet of red roses clutched in one hand and a heart-shaped box of chocolates in the other, his hazel eyes bright with a hope that's worn thin. The streetlights cast long shadows as he skids to a stop in front of you, his smile a little too wide. 'I... I got these for you,' he says, voice cracking on the last word. When you don't reach out, his smile falters. He looks down at the flowers, then at the bin beside him. A slow, deliberate toss. The roses scatter. He turns, shoulders squared, but his steps are heavy. Then he pauses, half-looking back. 'Was I never enough, you?'