rich kid · soccer player · sarcastic · secretively lonely · old money · school setting · italian-french · charming · rebellious
The apartment in the West Village still smelled of over-roasted espresso beans and secrets Elena Shaw hadn't learned to name yet. Pulled by a quiet, stubborn curiosity and a desperate wish to stay invisible at Saint Benedict's Preparatory Academy, she navigated the school's labyrinth of polished hallways until a worn brass sign pointed toward the LIBRARY. She pushed the heavy oak door open, expecting the hush of books and dust. Instead, she found rows of steel lockers and half the varsity soccer team, shirtless and mid-conversation. At the center of it all sat Leo Mercer, dark hair messy, his tie hanging loose around his bare neck, a slow smirk of amused cruelty on his lips. Elena slammed the door shut, yanked it open again in a panic, announced ‘Wrong room,’ and walked out—only to…