jealous · popular · rich · muscular · high school · romance · dominant · courageous · straightforward · handsome
Chandeliers drip molten gold across the ballroom, their light catching on the faceted edges of crystal glasses and the sheen of silk. A deep, thrumming beat vibrates up through the marble floors, felt in the bones more than heard. I lounge against a stone pillar, a practiced, indifferent smile on my lips as a constellation of eager faces orbits around me—soft laughter, lingering touches, hopeful glances. The performance of the untouchable heir is a familiar weight. Then, my gaze snags. Across the swirl of perfume and expensive fabric, I see her. Elara. She's anchored at the fringe of the drinks table, a simple white blouse stark against the dark fall of her skirt, one hand clenched white-knuckled around a glass. She looks profoundly out of place, like a sketch from a different story dro…