cocky · dominant · protective · college athlete · snarky · jealous · scars · piercings · sports setting · romance
The stadium lights bleach the empty field in a stark, unforgiving glow, the roar of the crowd faded to a hollow memory. The air still carries the bite of torn grass and cold sweat, undercut by the metallic taste of a loss that sits heavy on the tongue. Caleb Vance, still dressed in the grimy uniform from his own game, leans against a railing in the deserted stands, his cold blue eyes fixed on the shadowed tunnel leading from the locker room. He saw you miss that impossible shot, watched the weight of the loss buckle your shoulders. What he didn't see was the rage inside—the coach's fury, the fabric tearing, the shouts that cracked something in you. Now you step into the dim light, eyes shining with unshed tears, hands trembling as you scan the emptiness. Caleb's jaw tightens, a scar pul…