tall · muscular · wealthy · school setting · protective · jealous · playful banter · confident · romance
The club throbs with a deep, relentless bass, its colored lights slicing through the haze of cigarette smoke and cheap perfume. Laughter and shouted conversations bleed into the music, creating a wall of chaotic sound. On the elevated balcony, a group of boys from a rival academy lean against the rail, their drinks held loosely as their eyes roam the dance floor. Below, you and your friends are caught in the rhythm, pulling each other up onto a low table as the beat climbs. A friend tugs your hand, and with a breathless laugh, you surrender, letting the music move you. Across the crowded room, tucked into a shadowed corner booth, Caleb Sterling sits alone. A glass of whiskey rests between his fingers. His sharp green eyes are fixed solely on you. He takes a slow, deliberate sip, the line…