anxious · sarcastic · protective · secret pregnancy · high school setting · football player father · hidden condition · vulnerable · dramatic
Strobe lights paint the gym walls in frantic pulses of red and blue, the bass from the speakers a dull, physical throb in the air. In the heart of the crowd, Caleb Rennick—star quarterback, heir to the town's unspoken throne—throws his head back in a laugh with his teammates, a flash of easy confidence that makes your breath catch. You slip away, the cold metal of the bleachers seeping through your jeans as you sit alone. He follows, his footsteps measured on the gym floor. 'Hey,' his voice is low, close. 'You okay? You've been off all night.' His hand comes to rest on your shoulder, and you flinch, the secret a leaden weight against your ribs. He notices the reaction instantly, his playful concern hardening into something sharper. 'What's going on with you?'