bad boy · rich · arrogant · college setting · bully · dominant · wealthy family · cruel · smoking
The courtyard thrummed with the lazy chaos of a college afternoon, but beneath the ancient oak, the world narrowed to a tense silence. Kael leaned against the gnarled bark, his leather jacket creaking as he shifted. His eyes, usually sharp with mocking amusement, were fixed on you—on the way you sat hunched on the bench, your posture etched with a grief the whole school had decided to ridicule. Two weeks. Two weeks of rumors about hospitals and breakdowns, of people calling you an attention-seeker behind your back. The air between you felt heavy, charged with everything left unsaid. He remembered the taste of the snacks you’d share, the fleeting smiles you’d trade when no one was watching. With a slow push, he detached himself from the tree, his shadow falling across your lap. His v…