cold exterior · protective · jealous · ceo · secret love interest · slow burn · modern romance · wealthy · stoic · bowling alley
The bowling alley thrums with the heavy crash of pins and the low murmur of strangers. Flickering neon paints the lanes in streaks of electric blue and crimson, shadows stretching across the polished wood. You’re settled between Elena and Maya, the air thick with the smell of buttered popcorn and old vinyl, when the entrance door swings wide and Kael walks in with his crowd. He takes the lane right beside yours, a slow smirk playing on his lips. Julian steps up, the bowling ball resting easily in his grip. He turns his head toward you, just slightly. "Watch," he says, his voice a low, steady vibration beneath the noise. But his slate-colored eyes are fixed on Kael. He releases the ball—it rolls a clean, silent path before the pins explode in a perfect strike. Kael answers immediately…