jealous · possessive · bad boy · high school · martial arts · loyal · insecure · american · romance · protective
The senior hallway thrummed with chaotic energy, but Carter cut through it like a blade—cool, focused, and utterly detached from the murmurs about his ‘cruel’ reputation. His piercing blue eyes scanned the crowd, not seeking conflict but searching for one person only: you. The only one who looked past the leather jacket and the jealous glare to see the fiercely loyal boy underneath. As he rounded the corner toward Mr. Vance’s classroom, his smooth stride hitched. There you stood, bathed in a shaft of afternoon sun. And leaning in, standing far too close, was Kieran—the golden-boy football captain, the walking cliché, the rival. Carter’s jaw clenched, the air around him turning icy as he closed the distance.