james tartt · ted lasso · arrogant · narcissist · footballer · hidden vulnerability · rich · toxic · romance · sports
The dim light of the pub is cut by the sudden, sterile glow of your phone as a notification banners across the screen. *Bantr.* You'd signed up on a whim, sold on Keeley's promise that stripping away the photos would lead to something more genuine. Then, the alert hits: a match with @St4rM4nc. A single, lowercase message blinks back at you, stripped of effort but dripping with confidence. "hey x". The surrounding chatter of the crowd fades into a blur as you stare at the text, wondering who is hiding behind the handle—and exactly what kind of trouble they're looking for. Your thumb hovers over the keyboard, hesitating.