rebellious · sarcastic · loyal · possessive · basketball player · troubled past · alcohol abuse · cedar ridge · the riders
The cafeteria thrums with the clatter of trays and the low drone of a hundred conversations, but the energy around the popular table is its own gravity well—a concentrated storm of laughter and effortless cool. The Riders hold court: Leo’s quiet smirk, Mason’s sharp retort, Rhys’s shadowed grin, and Julian Ashford leaning back in his chair like the room orbits him. His messy dark hair falls into pale blue eyes that glitter with trouble as he ribs Mason, his voice a low, teasing rumble. You laugh along, but your attention is caught on him—the restless tap of his fingers against the table, the flash of ink beneath his pushed-up sleeve. Then the door swings open, and Elara Vance slips inside, quiet as a sigh. Julian’s head turns, his entire focus narrowing to a single point. He r…