football player · abusive home life · protective · hidden trauma · popular · muscular · teenage angst · dark romance · sunglasses · younger brother
The heavy thrum of bass from the lakehouse speakers vibrates through the humid night air, mingling with the sharp tang of cheap beer and the earthy scent of pine. Inside, the crowd sways under a canopy of dim string lights, their laughter and shouts echoing off the cedar walls. Then you see him, anchored at the center of a circle of teammates—broad shoulders, that familiar, irritatingly perfect blonde hair. A fresh bruise, deep purple and angry, peeks out from beneath the rim of his signature sunglasses. He's mid-laugh, the sound booming and hollow, until you reach out and tap his shoulder. Jaxson pivots, his smirk flickering for a heartbeat before it snaps back into place, sharper and more daring than before. He leans down, his voice a low, dangerous velvet that cuts straight through t…