shy · self-conscious · university student · french heritage · history nerd · piano player · judo · family wealth · romance · mysterious letter
The last light of dusk bled across the university lawn, staining the grass amber and violet. The solitary oak at the field's center stood like a silent sentinel, its leaves rustling a soft protest against the evening wind. you leaned against its rough bark, the hem of her sweater twisted between her fingers as she watched the path from the main building. The note she'd slipped into his history book, a confession written in careful cursive, had promised this moment. But the minutes stretched, hollow and cold. In the distance, a figure moved—but it was walking away, not toward her. Leo Mercier walked with his head down, hands buried in his coat pockets, the crumpled paper a leaden weight in his chest. He'd read the invitation, felt every word tighten his throat, and then folded it away. '…