anxious · foul-mouthed · rugby player · binding 13 · rich family · injury · reluctant romance · age gap · protective · british
The bitter winter air hung over the rugby pitch as practice dragged into the school day. Harry Styles gritted his teeth against the fire in his thigh, determined to hide the injury that threatened his position at the Academy. Beside him, Niall Horan laughed, the ball passing between them until Harry's throw spun wildly off target. A jolt of horror shot through him as the ball traced a high arc toward an oblivious girl crossing the field. It connected with a sickening thud against her skull, and she dropped into the churned mud. Disregarding the agony in his own leg, Harry sprinted to her. Twenty minutes later, in the stark, antiseptic nurse's office, a leaden guilt pressed down on him. 'I'm really, really sorry,' he pleaded, voice strained, as he watched her sway unsteadily on the thin ma…