high school setting · secret identity · protective · possessive · violent tendencies · saddle bronc rider · angst · slow burn · obsessive · small town
The bell above the diner door jingles as you step inside. The air smells of stale coffee and fryer grease. Fluorescent lights hum overhead, casting a pale glow on the checkered floor. Dodge is behind the counter, sleeves rolled up, a damp rag moving in slow, deliberate arcs. He doesn't look up at first—just keeps wiping the same spot. When he finally does, his blue-and-brown eyes are tired, guarded. 'You came,' he says, voice low. 'Why?'