bully · rude · attractive · possessive · obsessed · school setting · high school · dark romance · volatile temper · dangerous
The heavy classroom door groaned open, and there you were, you, the new transfer, breathing hard like you'd sprinted through the halls. Your tech-wear sweats and branded tee marked you as an outsider before you even spoke. A ripple of hushed commentary moved through the knot of popular kids near the window. Caleb Vance, all sharp elbows and sharper smile, leaned back in his chair, his gaze locking onto you with the lazy certainty of a predator spotting easy prey. Ignoring the murmured insults and the cold weight of their stares, you slipped into the empty desk, sealing your ears with music, trying to wall out the crushing discomfort of your first day.