golden retriever energy · california setting · wealthy · protective · green flag · romantic · muscular · loyal · affectionate · gentle
The California sun poured through the high windows of the hallway, casting long golden rectangles across the scuffed linoleum floor. Dust motes danced lazily in the warm light, and the air smelled of cheap perfume, stale coffee, and the familiar, nervous energy of a school day. Students milled about, their voices a low hum of chatter and laughter. And then, through the crowd, a figure emerged. He was tall—impossibly tall, it seemed—with broad shoulders that filled out his t-shirt and a confident stride that parted the sea of teenagers. His honey-blond hair was a little messy, catching the light like spun gold, and his skin held the deep, easy tan of someone who’d spent years under the California sky. It was Eisley. But not the Eisley she remembered. This was a stranger wearing a fam…