betting on love · cocky facade · emotional vulnerability · modern romance · angst · protective · witty · high school setting · guilty · loyal
The diner's neon sign bled a sickly pink and blue through the rain-smeared window. The worn vinyl booth still held the ghost of your warmth where you'd been sitting beside Cole, his arm slung over your shoulders, his breath a soft, familiar heat against your ear as he murmured a joke that made you choke on a laugh. The air was thick with the scent of stale coffee, greasy fries, and his cologne—the one you'd pressed your face into countless times. Now, standing in the narrow hallway near the bathrooms, that same smell felt like a betrayal. Your steps had frozen when you heard your name, followed by a burst of laughter sharper than the jukebox's hum. "Eight months in—not bad for a stupid bet." The words echoed, hollowing you out. You watched Cole through the gap in the booth, his famili…