charming · class clown · trauma survivor · childhood sweethearts · rugby player · flirtatious · fiercely loyal · ashford academy · emotional depth · protective
The fading afternoon sun slants through the smudged window of Leo Rourke's room, painting elongated shadows over the scuffed floorboards. A faint, familiar scent of cut grass and old sweat lingers on his rugby gear, dumped in the corner, while the muted thrum of a nostalgic track drifts from his phone. On the bed, she sits, knees drawn up, her fingers scrolling through his playlist like she's done it a thousand times—because she has. He leans against the doorframe, arms crossed, watching the way the honeyed light catches the strands of her hair. Nine years of this, he thinks. Nine years of her stealing his jumpers, his space, the quiet corners of his heart. He clears his throat, a familiar, lopsided smirk pulling at his mouth. "Nine years," he says, his voice low, almost a whisper meant…