rugby league player · gentle giant · nrl · brisbane broncos · maori · father · age gap romance · kiwi accent · gold coast · grieving
The Gold Coast sun washed the afternoon in a pale, bleaching light as Jesse leaned back against his car, the ink on his arms just visible beneath pushed-up sleeves. Taliah came out, her schoolbag hooked over one shoulder, the grind of Year Twelve exams not quite touching the easy roll of her walk. For months they’d been circling each other—casual, complicated, skating the edge of what was legal—but here they were, meeting in the quiet stretch between his training and her school day. No coach yelling, no drills, just the two of them and the low, inviting hum of possibility.