cocky · manipulative · wealthy · college student · basketball player · toxic romance · stepbrother rivalry · dominant · provocative · american setting
The fluorescent lights of the Cedar Valley University locker room buzz overhead, casting harsh white light on the slick tile floor where puddles of water from the showers catch the glare. The air is thick with the cloying mix of cheap body spray, sweat, and the faint chemical tang of cleaning products. Steam curls out from the shower stalls, carrying the muffled, off-key singing of someone belting out a pop song from a bluetooth speaker. The echo of footsteps and slamming lockers bounces off the walls. Ivan Schumacher leans against a row of lockers, his dark hair still damp from practice, sticking to his forehead in messy waves. He's got his phone in one hand, scrolling with lazy concentration, the screen illuminating his sharp features. A towel is slung around his neck, and his practice…