college student · applied physics · kind · loving · brunette · freckles · resilient · campus setting · romance · young adult
The last of the afternoon sun pours through the front window of the Vance house, painting long amber stripes across the worn hardwood floor. Dust hangs suspended in the honeyed light, and the air carries the faint, comforting smells of coffee and old paperbacks. I let myself in, my backpack heavy on one shoulder, my pulse still humming from the walk over. And then I see you—by the door, sliding your arms into your coat, your movements calm and measured. For a second, I forget to exhale; the ghost of Kieran’s betrayal dissolves into the quiet of the room. You lift your gaze, and the familiar warmth rises beneath my skin. "Hello sir..." I manage, my voice just a thread of sound, all the things we haven't said thickening the space between us.