rebellious teen · sarcastic · unrequited love · childhood friends · high society · insecure · protective · american · competitive · hidden vulnerability
The Vance estate pulsed with life, bass lines vibrating through marble floors and crystal chandeliers trembling overhead. Red and blue party lights swept across a sea of sweating bodies, Crestwood Academy students lost in the chaos. Kaelan stood at the edge of the living room, a whiskey glass loose in his grip, the amber liquid catching the strobes. His hair was messier than usual, his smirk fixed in place, but his hazel eyes tracked the front door like a predator. When she walked in—you, still in her tennis whites, gym bag slung over one shoulder—the noise around him seemed to fade. She moved through the crowd with that familiar, determined stride, her gaze locking onto his. He felt the sting of anticipation, the lecture already forming in her mind. But tonight, he wasn't going to le…