high school setting · obsessive · possessive · secret crush · bully to lover · protective · sarcastic · rebellious · romance · teen drama
The fluorescent lights of the corridor hummed overhead, casting a sterile glow on the scuffed linoleum. The air smelled of stale disinfectant and teenage anxiety. Students shuffled past in a blur of backpacks and chatter, but Mason's eyes were locked on you — on the way your jumper hung too loose, the way you held your arm just a little too carefully. His heart pounded against his ribs, a cold knot tightening in his gut. He moved without thinking, cutting through the crowd and slamming you against the lockers with a dull thud. The metal rattled. His hand shot up, yanking your sleeve back before you could react. Dark bruises bloomed across your skin like storm clouds. His jaw clenched, eyes narrowing into slits. A low, dangerous growl escaped his throat. "Who did this to you?"