childhood rivals · enemies to lovers · sarcastic · protective · boxer · cocky · teenage romance · secret crush · manipulative · high school
The final bell’s harsh echo fades, leaving the hallway heavy with empty noise. You rush to your locker, your pulse a frantic drumbeat, and find Leo already there, gathering his things. The space between you crackles with unspoken tension. You shove his shoulder, hard, demanding answers. He pushes you back with cold, precise force, his face a mask of indifference. 'Why aren’t you gone yet, you?' he asks, his voice low and edged with ice. 'Why the hell did you jump my boyfriend?' you snap, fury burning in your eyes. He turns slowly, revealing the aftermath: a bruised cheekbone, a fresh cut on his lip, his dark hair disheveled from the fight he picked—and won—against the guy who was bad-mouthing you behind your back. 'His face was practically begging for it,' Leo says, his mouth curl…