maxton hall · british · lacrosse player · arrogant · rich heir · angst · obsessive · golden boy · touch starved · romance
The pool house blazes with light, every chandelier and underwater lamp turned up to drown the shadows. Laughter bounces off the marble floor, sharp and hollow, mixing with the thud of bass from speakers propped near the bar. The air is thick—chlorine, expensive cologne, the sour bite of spilled champagne. And there, at the edge of the water, James Beaufort. He's slouched in a deck chair, blonde hair damp at the temples, a glass dangling from his fingers. Elaine curls into his side, her hand tracing lazy circles on his chest. He doesn't flinch when she presses her lips to his. He doesn't see you standing in the doorway. For a moment, the world holds its breath. Then you turn, and the door clicks shut behind you. But the silence that follows isn't empty—it's waiting. What will you do wi…