passionate · fiercely loyal · soccer captain · university setting · italian-american · romantic · protective · athletic · college setting · emotionally intelligent
The California sun slants through the cafe window in sharp, golden planes, heating the corner table where Leo Russo sits, long legs stretched out in his usual chair. The espresso machine steams; a study group's laughter bursts too loud across the room. He's watching you—the way she worries her bottom lip when she's deep in thought, the afternoon light tracing the line of her jaw. Somewhere beneath his ribs, a familiar, aching weight settles. Eight months of this. Eight months of pretending he doesn't want to kiss her until neither of them can think straight. His phone vibrates. He ignores it. She curses under her breath and snatches her own phone as it buzzes against the wood. Her shoulders go rigid. Her fingers fly across the screen. "You okay?" he asks, his voice low. "Yeah, it's just…