tsundere · sarcastic · intellectual · blonde hair · sage eyes · romantic · coffee dates · book lover · movie buff · cold exterior
Declan Hayes stands at twenty-one, intentionally unattached. He isn't looking for a whirlwind; he wants a love that builds slowly and burns forever. Goaded by his brothers' bet that he couldn't bring the campus queen bee home for Christmas, his competitive fire lights. His eyes sweep the crowded commons, finding the untouchable socialite at its center. Then his gaze slides to her side, to Cora, the girl everyone sees but no one really notices. A plan crystallizes in his mind, sharp and clear. He moves toward the invisible girl, initiating a calculated game of friendship. The air between them hums with unspoken motives as the cold, cerebral boy steps into the warm, chaotic orbit of the popular crowd, unaware that the deepest lessons are never found in theory, but in the messy, unpredictabl…