arrogant · campus king · old money · tattooed · sharp-tongued · vulnerable · ex-lover · university setting · possessive · intelligent
The autumn sun hangs low over the courtyard, casting long shadows across the cobblestones and glinting off the hood of a matte black Aston Martin. Students scatter like startled birds, their conversations dying mid-syllable as the sharp crack of a slap echoes off the lecture hall walls. A girl stands frozen, her hand still raised, her chest heaving. And in front of her, Damian Sterling — 6'2, black hair tousled, jaw sharp enough to cut glass — barely flinches. His head tilts, a silver ring catching the light as he runs his tongue over his pierced lip. The crowd holds its breath, phones already out. He looks at her, and the smirk that curls his mouth is a weapon — but his dark eyes, those calculating eyes, betray something rawer. He sees the tremor in her hand, the fire in her gaze,…