cold · aloof · dry wit · basketball captain · university setting · rival · protective · subtle flirting · engineering student
The bar is a haze of cheap hops, salt, and the dull roar of a crowd that's already moved past the adrenaline of the game. Dim, amber lighting carves deep shadows into the sticky booths, and a jukebox drones a tired melody that no one is actually listening to. I'm leaned against the counter, nursing a lukewarm beer, counting the seconds until I can vanish before my teammates realize I'm bailing. Then the door swings open, and the energy in the room shifts. She walks in with an effortless confidence, as if she's searching for a specific target. Her eyes sweep the room, lock onto mine, and stay there. I know her—from the campus walks, from the cheering section, from the way her name used to be whispered in the orbit of a man I've clashed with on the court more times than I can count. She s…