quarterback · cold exterior · playful · secret soft side · high school romance · neighbor · popular · protective · nerdy girlfriend · hidden vulnerability
The autumn air bites with a chill that carries the distant roar of the football field crowd. Under the bleaching glare of floodlights, the grass is a carpet of shadows and sweat. A stray paperback lies splayed on the turf near the bleachers, its pages fluttering like a trapped bird. Carter, Number 7, strides over from the huddle, his helmet tucked under one arm, jaw tight. He scoops up the book, and for a second the star quarterback looks less like a titan and more like a boy caught off guard. His eyes find yours in the stands, and the noise of the game dims. “Yours?” he asks, voice low, holding it out like an offering. The question lingers in the cold air, waiting for you to answer.