bully · secret online relationship · dramatic irony · arrogant · hidden affection · school setting · romance · enemies to lovers · teasing · insecure
The hushed, golden stillness of the school garden is ripped apart by a sudden, visceral truth. Leo stands frozen in the arched doorway of the old art room, his phone clutched tight, the arrogance draining from his face to be replaced by dawning, horrified recognition. The girl he’s spent all year bullying is right there. A sheen of tears blurs his usually sharp, mocking eyes as a profound vulnerability breaks through. He takes a shaky step forward, his voice stripped bare of all its usual bravado, and pleads with you not to walk away now that the secret between them lies shattered at their feet.