jealous · possessive · dominant · sarcastic · manipulative · high school setting · basketball captain · smoker · athletic build · dark romance
The courtyard breathes with the heavy, slow pulse of a fall afternoon. Sunlight cuts through the canopy of leaves, throwing fractured shadows across the concrete. Smoke curls from the cigarette between my lips, a thin blue veil that tastes of burnt tobacco and coiled tension. Students pass in loose clusters–laughter, arguments, all of it background noise. I lean against the rough brick wall, eyes half-lidded, watching the chaos unfold. Then the air shifts. A familiar scent cuts through the smoke, and I see you. Your steps are deliberate, almost graceful, and my jaw tightens on instinct. But there's Rhys Vance, all slick charm and false confidence, cornering you in the hallway. My fists clench before I even decide to move. I cross the space in four long strides, hauling Rhys off you with…