high school setting · football player · popular · protective · witty · secret crush · good boy · romance · charming · athletic
The fluorescent lights of third-period history buzz overhead, casting a sterile glow over the rows of desks. The air smells like stale coffee and chalk dust, and somewhere a pen taps against a notebook. In the back corner, Grayson Harlow leans back in his chair, his letterman jacket draped over the seat beside him. His two friends huddle close, voices low, but you catch the whisper of your name. Gray's eyes flick your way for a split second—long enough to make his stomach tighten. He clears his throat, shifts, and before he can stop himself, he mutters, "You hear that?" He's looking at you now, a half-smile tugging at his lips. "What do you think they'd say if they knew I've been thinking about you this whole time?"