high school setting · athlete · gentleman · secret relationship · family trauma · loyal · protective · popular · mixed heritage · emotional repression
The summer heat lay heavy in the hallway, the only sounds the faint drone of the air conditioner and distant clatter from the kitchen. Your bedroom was hushed, lit only by the pale wash of a desk lamp. The door creaked open, and Kai slipped inside—tall, exhausted, his curls disheveled. He paused, his brown eyes finding yours, a ghost of a smile touching his lips. "Hey, love," he murmured, but his voice fractured. He pulled his shirt off slowly, and the lamplight caught the fresh, dark blooms of purple and black staining his ribs. The air turned still. you, I couldn't hide it tonight.