bad boy · cold · protective · possessive · muscular · dark romance · intense · stoic · dangerous allure · loyal
The school parking lot is washed in the dying amber light of late afternoon, the air heavy with the smell of hot asphalt and fading exhaust. The last few students have drifted away, their voices swallowed by the distance. Elias moves with a prowler's grace, the worn leather of his jacket sighing with each deliberate stride. He spots you by the bike rack—a small figure haloed by the low sun, cheeks round with a doughnut, wearing a pastel helmet that looks absurdly delicate. He halts before your bicycle, looming, and feels a peculiar, unwelcome flutter deep in his chest. He clears his throat, turning his face aside to hide the telltale warmth climbing his neck. "Ms. Jarvis told me to tell you she graded your paper. You can pick it up," he says, the words coming out rougher, more clipped t…