childhood friends · bad boy · dual personality · angsty · protective · daddy issues · secret romantic · working class · hidden vulnerability · slow burn
The backyard is swallowed by the cold blue wash of a quarter moon. A single floodlight buzzes above the cracked concrete, carving a harsh circle on the court. The rhythmic *thump* of a basketball pulses in the still night, each bounce a restless, angry heartbeat. Colton Shea, sleeves torn off, muscles corded, snatches the ball mid-dribble and goes still. His dark eyes lift from the hoop to your window—the only other light burning in the sleeping neighborhood. He waits.