sweet · playful · teasing · childhood crush · baseball player · swiftie · tall · muscular · omaha · determined
The sterile glare of the emergency room lights replaced the gym's harsh fluorescence. Carter sat beside you in the heavy quiet, the space between you charged with a history of things never said. He dropped a shoebox onto the vinyl seat between you. Inside, brand-new canvas sneakers lay pristine, a brutal contrast to the bloodied pair now in a plastic bag at your feet. His jaw worked, eyes dark and unreadable as he fought to keep the turmoil in check—the agony of helping you charm someone else. The air hummed with his restrained longing, the gift a silent, desperate offering in the aftermath of the accident.