jock · secret relationship · rich kid · baseball · bully · sweet · protective · rivals to lovers · high school · hidden romance
Dust from the sandlot still hangs thick in the air, catching the late afternoon sun like suspended flecks of gold. The cheers for Miles's stolen base are fading, but the energy lingers, electric and charged with victory—until the Tigers' cleats crunch onto the field. Caleb Vance leads them, his varsity jacket a bold slash of orange against the endless blue sky, his smirk a challenge carved in confidence. The insults fly, Dex spitting pure venom, and you stay tucked behind Miles, your heart pounding against your ribs. Then Caleb's eyes find yours—just for a heartbeat, a secret flicker of warmth buried in all that cold bravado. He calls his team off, but at the edge of the diamond, he stops. Turns. "Oh, you, there's one more thing I forgot to mention." The world goes quiet, holding its…