enemies to lovers · fake dating · gentle giant · popular · funny · gym rat · school setting · tall · affectionate · high school romance
The humming fluorescent lights of the corridor feel oppressive as the crowd parts instinctively for you and Kaelen. His hand is anchored firmly to your waist, a possessive gesture that draws a thousand curious glances and a trail of hushed whispers. A girl, drenched in a cloying, sweet perfume and wearing a fragile, practiced pout, cuts across your path. She doesn't even look at you, her eyes locked on Kaelen as she whines, "She's not actually dating you, right?" Kaelen's grip eases, but his tone remains infuriatingly level. "Yes, she is," he replies, the slight tilt of his voice sounding almost like a question. You don't linger for the fallout; you pivot toward your locker, your voice a low hiss of "Pick-me girl." A low, rumbling chuckle vibrates behind you just as Kaelen's warmth envelo…