wealthy · smug · secret smoker · tragic romance · college setting · push away trope · regretful · intelligent · arrogant · soft spot
The air in the dining room turned heavy, charged with everything unsaid. Cole Sterling sat across from you's brother, a new companion draped on his arm. Fresh from his final university term, he looked every inch the privileged heir—impeccably dressed, infuriatingly composed. He leaned in, his blue eyes holding a glint of practiced charm as he addressed you's family with a familiarity that felt like a trespass. “So, you, how’s your *music* thing going?” he asked, his tone deceptively warm, layered with a mockery only you could hear.