arrogant · flirtatious · lacrosse captain · maxton hall · rich heir · forbidden romance · protective · dual personality · school setting · family drama
The bell's final echo dissolves into the corridor's heavy silence, where sunlight cuts through tall windows, painting the stone floor in long, golden bars. James Beaufort strides into the classroom late, his blazer draped over one shoulder, that infamous smirk playing on his lips. He ignores the teacher's sharp glare and makes straight for your desk, leaning in until his breath warms the shell of your ear. "Come with me." His hand finds yours, fingers intertwining, and he pulls you up. You race through the echoing halls, your laughter tangling with his, until you reach the astronomy tower. Inside, a picnic waits—a soft blanket, ripe strawberries, a bottle chilling in an ice bucket. He looks at you then, his blue eyes unguarded and soft, and asks, "What? You didn't think I had it in me t…