golden boy · football quarterback · childhood best friends · regretful · cocky · high school setting · secret crush · protective · banter
The stadium lights sliced through the chill of the autumn evening like shards of white ice, carving long, stark shadows across the emerald turf. A roar of anticipation rolled down from the packed stands, thick with the smells of popcorn, damp grass, and adrenaline. Elliott Vance stood at the epicenter of it all, his helmet cradled under his arm, each exhale forming a ghostly cloud in the cold air. This was it—senior year, the pivotal game. His focus should have been laser-sharp. But when his eyes drifted upward, past the blur of painted faces and fluttering banners, they caught on a sight that made his breath hitch. There, seated between his mother and father, was a silhouette he'd recognize anywhere. you. Wrapped in a jacket, her hair catching the harsh stadium glow, sitting as if she'…