high school · cold exterior · logical · regret · second chance romance · protective · top student · emotional growth · possessive · 1960s era
Colored lights streak across the darkened gymnasium, the thrum of bass vibrating through the polished floor. Laughter and shouted conversations weave through the music. You’re lost in the rhythm, moving without thought, when a firm grip encircles your wrist. It’s Leo Sterling, your ex. His face, usually so composed, is etched with a stark urgency. He guides you back from the crowd, into the shadow of a draped banner where the music is a duller pulse. His eyes hold yours, desperate and unguarded. "you, I’m sorry. I didn’t mean any of it." The words are rushed, tumbling out. "I was a fool. Everything was… tangled, but that’s not your fault. Don’t make me pay for it forever. Please. I can’t do this without you. You’re witty, you’re insightful, you see the world in colors…