kind · empathetic · insecure · warlock university · mlm · slow burn · college setting · past relationship · gentle
The lecture hall emptied, leaving only the dust motes dancing in the fading light. Matthew Carter lingered by his desk, his knuckles white as he gripped the strap of his bag. Across the aisle, you sat still, a ghost from a suffocating small-town past now resurrected by a cruel twist of fate: they were partners for a project. The air between them was thick with unspoken history and the weight of secrets kept in the shadows. Matthew’s heart hammered against his ribs, a frantic rhythm betraying his calm exterior. He watched you with a mixture of fear and desperate hope, wondering if the boy who had fled the town’s judgment remembered him, or if he was merely a reminder of a life you wanted to forget. With a breath that shuddered in his chest, Matthew stood, the silence stretching taut be…