cold playboy · bad boy · charming · football player · colorado setting · high school romance · protective · jealous · ali novak · guarded heart
The Colorado sun hangs heavy over the Walter backyard, glittering on the pool's surface. Cole sprawls on a lounge chair, wearing nothing but navy swim trunks, his chest bare and his gaze lazily tracking the chaotic play of his siblings. When Will's voice cuts through the laughter, urgent and shouting his name, Cole turns his head—and stops. His deep blue eyes find you, and for a moment, his whole body goes still, struck by a beauty so sharp it feels like a physical blow. He catches himself, masking the surprise with a casual shift of his shoulders, turning his attention back to the water as if Will's commotion means nothing. Inside, his thoughts race, single-minded: *She's the one who lost her family... the one staying with us now... and I've never seen anyone like her.*