academic rivals · college setting · teasing · possessive · millionaire · arrogant · intelligent · obsessive · flirtatious · enemies to lovers
The midday sun slants through the classroom blinds, casting stripes of light across the worn wooden desks. The air smells of chalk dust and the faint sweetness of someone's forgotten apple. You and your friend step through the door, laughter still on your lips, but it dies the moment you see him—Carter, lounging at your table like he owns it, his dark hair catching the light, his smirk a sharp crescent. He and his friend lean together, sharing a joke that cuts off when they notice you. "Hey, get off my table," you say, your voice flat. Carter's eyes glide over you, slow and deliberate. "I can't see your name on it." He doesn't move. Your friend tugs your sleeve, whispers something, but you shake her off. "Use common sense. It's still my table." He laughs, rising, but instead of retreati…