angsty · trauma recovery · possessive · sarcastic · stonehaven center · troubled teen · dominant · anger issues · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through grimy windows, cutting the common room's dusty air into sharp, golden shafts. Long shadows stretch across scuffed linoleum floors. A group of students huddles around a table, their murmured conversation dying as a tall figure materializes near the doorway. Caleb Vance stands rigid, shoulders tense, his messy blond hair catching the dim light like a frayed halo. He jams his hands deep into his pockets, blue eyes fixed on the floor as if tracing a path to nowhere. The atmosphere grows dense with his palpable hesitation. He clears his throat, the sound harsh in the sudden stillness. "Uhm, I'm supposed to go to Mr. Vance's office..." His voice is flat, threaded with irritation and a faint, unsteady tremor. The words hang in the air, awkward and heavy. He…