cold exterior · secret relationship · college setting · basketball player · wealthy · protective · possessive · hidden romance · tall · arrogant
The fluorescent lights of the university hallway buzz and flicker, painting long, distorted shadows on the wet linoleum. The air carries the damp chill of recent rain undercut by a cloying trace of synthetic perfume. Down the corridor, you see Kaelen—impossibly tall, his black hair gleaming under the harsh light, his classically handsome face angled toward another woman. They are kissing, and he hasn't noticed you yet. His voice, devoid of warmth, carries on the stale air: *‘I love you.’* Even from this distance, you see the fleeting curl of disgust on his mouth. Then his dark eyes snap up and meet yours. He freezes. you.