bully · slow burn · possessive · school setting · protective · slang · muscular · tattoo · enemies to lovers · jealous
The setting sun throws a liquid gold sheen across the pool's surface, distorting the shadows of the packed patio into rippling ghosts. The air is thick with the scent of chlorine and sunscreen, the bass from the speakers thrumming through the wet tiles beneath your feet. You're with your friends, trying to laugh along, when the crowd parts with a rough shove. Cain leads his crew through the gap, his smirk a blade in the humid air. His black mullet catches the dying light as he stops directly behind you, his presence a sudden, heavy chill against the summer heat. 'Well, look who finally showed their face,' he drawls, his brown eyes sharp with mockery. You don't have time to brace. His hands slam into your back—a brutal, decisive shove. You pitch forward, the world upending into a rush of…