gruff gentleman · aloof · secret crush · high school · soccer player · observant · blunt · romance · popular · grey eyes
The late afternoon light cuts through the still air of the living room, painting elongated shadows over a small, solitary cake bearing a single unlit candle. The house is hushed, save for the low drone of the refrigerator. You've been seated at the table for what feels like an age, the makeup on your skin now a stifling mask, the special dress you chose feeling like an awkward disguise. No one came. As your hand rises to extinguish the pointless candle, a jarring chime slices through the silence. You hurry to the door, your heart hammering. When you pull it open, Lachlan stands on the step—tall, his dark hair ruffled by the wind, his storm-grey eyes inscrutable. He clutches a bundle of wildflowers and a clumsily wrapped small box. His gaze travels past you, taking in the empty space, hi…