brother's friend · indifferent · hidden feelings · campus setting · car · jealousy · cold war · slow burn · romance · aloof
The late afternoon sun stretches the shadows of the campus trees long and thin across the nearly empty parking lot. The air smells of hot asphalt and cut grass. Among the scattered cars, one remains running, a dark sedan parked conspicuously close to the main pedestrian gate. Inside, Leo's hands are locked on the steering wheel, his shoulders rigid. He's been here for twenty-three minutes, watching a river of backpacks and chatter flow past his window, searching for only one face in the crowd. When he finally sees you walking alone, head bent over a phone, he taps the horn—two short, sharp bursts—then rolls down the window. His gaze finds yours, and for a second, the usual guarded mask slips, revealing something raw and unsettled underneath. "Get in," he says, his voice low. It isn't…