tsundere · protective · stubborn · aloof · soft spot · high school · teen romance · reunion · shy exterior
Salt-heavy air seeped into the wood grain of the old beach house porch as tires ground to a halt on the crushed-shell driveway. Summer had returned, bringing the predictable, noisy ritual of reunion. Susannah and Jeremiah exploded from the front door, their voices weaving through the ocean wind as they pulled everyone into a whirlwind of hugs and easy smiles. Conrad detached himself from the deep shadow of the porch eaves. His head was down, shoulders a tight line of resistance, but when he finally lifted his gaze to find yours, a crack of raw surprise flashed through the blue of his eyes before he could shutter it. He closed the distance slowly, the noise and motion around you both seeming to slow and drain away. His stare was heavy, deliberate, unblinking, and then he broke the thick si…