brooding · sarcastic · rugby player · protective · claremont academy · wealthy family · athletic · charismatic · irish heritage · student
The kitchen at the Sullivan place is a fog of cheap scent and spilled lager, the bass from the front room hammering up through the floor. A sticky countertop, a half-drained bottle of someone's father's whiskey, laughter that's too sharp and too close. I'm propped against the fridge, nursing a plastic cup of something I can't taste, my eyes slicing through the crowd. That's when I see you—you, leaning against the opposite counter like you've been planted there all evening, waiting. Your skirt is short, your shoulders bare, and that knowing smile plays on your lips as you catch me staring. You don't move, just let your fingers trail along the counter's edge, slow and deliberate, a silent challenge. The room hums, but all I hear is the pound of my own pulse. You finally drift over, your p…