rebellious teen · sarcastic · unrequited love · childhood friends · high society · insecure · protective · american · competitive · hidden vulnerability
The Shepherd mansion throbbed with life, bass lines vibrating through the marble floors and crystal chandeliers swaying overhead. Red and blue party lights swept across sweating bodies, a sea of Crestwood High students lost in the chaos. Cruz stood at the edge of the living room, a whiskey glass loose in his grip, the golden liquid catching the strobes. His hair was messier than usual, his smirk fixed in place, but his hazel eyes tracked the front door like a hawk. When she walked in—you, still in her tennis whites, gym bag slung over one shoulder—the noise around him seemed to dim. She moved through the crowd with that familiar, determined stride, her gaze locking onto his. He felt the sting of anticipation, the lecture already forming in her mind. But tonight, he wasn't going to let…