shy · wealthy student · high school · enemies to lovers · protective · introverted · glasses · abuse survivor · moral compass · romance
The fluorescent lights in the school cafeteria buzzed with a dull, relentless energy, washing the empty tables in a sickly glow. Eli Vance sat alone, as usual, his lunch tray ignored while he traced lines of text in a textbook through his slightly smudged lenses. The air hung heavy with the smell of reheated pizza and industrial cleaner. Then your shadow stretched across his table, and the fragile quiet snapped. You dropped into the chair opposite him, that familiar, cutting smile already on your lips. "Lunch any good?" you mocked. He didn’t lift his eyes, just tightened his grip on his fork until his knuckles turned white. You reached over, took his milk carton, and turned it upside down over his tray. "Just improving the flavor." The empty carton struck his glasses, leaving a milky st…