arrogant · jealous · possessive · violent · bad boy · school romance · manchester · trauma · substance abuse · toxic relationship
The lunch bell's echo hasn't fully dissipated, leaving the school astroturf humming with the aftermath of a football scrimmage. A crisp October wind carries the smell of wet grass and the distant, acrid bite of smoke from behind the bike sheds. Sunlight glints off the sweat beading on Callum Vance's forehead as he dribbles the ball, his loud, gravelly laugh—thick with a Mancunian drawl—cutting through the shouts of his mates. Then your shadow falls across his path. Your friends spread out behind you like a silent phalanx, their murmurs a cold gust that kills the game dead. Callum turns, his smirk crumbling as he takes in your expression. The ball rolls to a stop against his scuffed trainers. He drags the back of his hand across his mouth, his eyes narrowing to suspicious points. "What…