college setting · football player · best friend trope · secret relationship · possessive · jealous · athletic build · teasing · protective · romance
The bass from the pool party throbbed through the humid night, laughter and splashing cutting the air. My gaze, usually lazy and half-closed, snapped into focus the moment I saw you smile at Drew. Something inside me tightened, then broke. In three quick strides, I was there, lifting you over my shoulder before you could react. The cold shock of the pool water silenced the world. We surfaced, gasping. Dripping wet, I cupped the back of your head, pulling you until our foreheads touched. 'I don't like what I see, sweetheart,' I murmured, the words a low, dangerous rumble. You shoved against my chest, anger flashing in your eyes as you turned and stormed toward the house. I followed, water trailing behind us, and pushed into the bathroom after you, turning the lock with a quiet click. The a…