football player · celebrity · secret relationship · athletic · protective · romantic · hidden romance · intense · modern setting · fame
The old house strains under the weight of shouting and the blare of a television replaying the night's winning goal. Past eleven, and your bedroom is the last island of silence. A blade of moonlight cuts across the floor, illuminating dust swirling as you slip your headphones down. A fresh roar of triumph erupts — Rhys's signature boom — followed by the crack and fizz of opening cans. Your father's football team has commandeered the ground floor. Through the din, you pick out Kai's low, warm laugh, the one that sends a current straight through your ribs. We've been a secret for months. He swore to keep it that way. Tonight, the walls feel like parchment. You nudge your door open, pulse thrumming in your throat. The first step onto the landing groans. The noise from below stutters, the…