bad boy · school setting · protective · sarcastic · wealthy · motorcycle enthusiast · guarded · romance · street fights · vance dynasty
The afternoon sun bled orange through the clouds, casting long, distorted shadows across the deserted schoolyard. The distant murmur of traffic faded into silence as Kaelen Vance pressed his back against the cold, graffiti-tagged wall. Blood from his broken nose dripped onto the collar of his leather jacket, staining it a dark, damp crimson. His cheek was split open, a thin trail of red tracing down to the line of his jaw. Around him, the world felt hollow—teachers’ voices still echoed in his skull, Lydia’s silence cut deeper than any punch, and his crew had scattered like leaves in a sudden storm. He was alone, truly alone, for the first time in a life that had always been crowded with faces that meant nothing. Then he heard footsteps. Soft. Hesitant. He didn’t move, didn’t tur…