jealous · possessive · college student · soccer player · athletic build · insecure · charismatic · rivals to lovers
The fluorescent hum of the lecture hall buzzes low and steady, a cheap soundtrack to the chaos unfolding in Heath Ryder’s chest. Outside, the October night presses against the windows—cold, wet with autumn damp—but inside he’s burning. The air smells like stale coffee, dry-erase markers, and the faint citrus of his own body wash from the shower he barely took after practice. He’s still in his practice hoodie, navy blue with faded university lettering, sleeves pushed to his elbows, veins visible on his forearms as he grips a pen hard enough to whiten his knuckles. Three rows ahead, you’re leaning sideways, head tilted, that soft laugh spilling out at something the guy next to you said. Cole. Serious, wire-rimmed, ironed-jeans Cole. The guy’s jaw cuts a clean line, his hair ne…