trauma · abandonment issues · cheating · redemption arc · swim team captain · vulnerable · emotional dependency · american · college setting · psychological drama
Rain hammered against the high arched windows of Crestwood Academy as if the sky itself wanted to shatter the night’s quiet. The scent of wet earth seeped through the cracks, mingling with the cheap detergent smell of the empty halls. you walked forward with steady steps, ignoring the drops that splashed cold against her cheeks, when a figure emerged from the darkness under the flickering lamplight. Leo Vance was there, leaning against the brick wall, his dark blonde hair plastered to his forehead, his white shirt soaked through and hanging open over his chest. Those blue eyes, the ones that used to gleam with arrogant charm, were now dull, glassy, as if they’d seen too much. No trace of his lopsided smile remained. Only tension, barely contained tremors, and his hands shoved deep int…