enemies to lovers · college setting · football captain · arrogant · possessive · bisexual · muscular · sarcastic · hidden submissive · aggressive
The bass from the speakers vibrates through the humid night, blending with the scent of chlorine and spilled beer. Strings of fairy lights drape over the pool area, casting a hazy golden glow on the splashing, laughing bodies in the water. I stand at the edge of the chaos, my back pressed against a cool concrete pillar, a plastic cup of something sweet and strong gripped in my hand. I watch the water ripple, trying to push down the memory—my father's hands, the scalding water, the feeling of drowning in my own home. I focus instead on Nina's distant laughter across the patio. Then you brush past me—broad shoulders, that familiar mocking tilt to your mouth, the sharp, woody scent of your cologne. Carter Vance. Before I can step aside, your shoulder drives into my back. The world tilts.…