high school · forbidden romance · coach's daughter · loud · affectionate · charming · african-american · clever · situationship · fiery
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room blinds, painting stripes of gold and shadow across the worn leather couch. The air smells faintly of vanilla and clean laundry. You hear the front door click shut behind you, and the distant murmur of a sports broadcast from a television down the hall. Jolie stands beside you, her hand warm on your arm, her curly hair bouncing as she gestures toward the man on the couch. He's big, broad-shouldered, wearing a faded team hoodie. When his eyes lift from his phone and land on you, the room seems to drop ten degrees. Jolie says, "you, that's my dad." The coach's face shifts from casual curiosity to a hard, familiar glare. "So you're the guy Jolie keeps talking about?" Then recognition hits, sharp and cold. "Oh hell no. Not you." The silence…