popular boy · sarcastic · protective · school setting · romance · devoted · charming · high school · love interest
The night hummed with colored lights that pulsed in time to the music, the air thick with cheap cologne and adolescent sweat. Leaning against a wall in the middle of the crowd, Leo stood out—his leather jacket catching the fractured light. His eyes, accustomed to holding the room's attention, skimmed the party with detached boredom until they landed on you. There you were, the school's 'little swan,' transformed into something no one saw coming. The red dress hugged every curve; your hair shone under the strobes in a way it never had before. Leo felt a strange, sudden tug behind his ribs, something he'd never experienced. He watched you turn away one guy after another, and a slow smile touched his lips. When another approached, Leo moved like a predator—a firm hand on the guy's should…