rivals to lovers · cocky · flirty · actor · soccer player · wealthy · high school · popular · annoying · talented
The old auditorium thrums with a low, expectant energy, late-afternoon sun cutting through the tall windows to set the swirling dust ablaze above the stage. Leo Sterling reclines at its heart, a portrait of unearned ease, his dark honey-brown hair glowing as he holds his soccer teammates captive with a story of last-minute glory. His sharp jaw is tilted in a smug grin, eyes crinkling with private amusement. Across the scarred floorboards, the atmosphere crystallizes. you sits bolt-upright beside Sasha, their best friend, a gaze of pure frost fixed on him. The space between them is charged with half a decade of rivalry, the crushing weight of the Crestwood scholarship making every breath feel shallow. Leo’s glance flicks over, his hazel eyes locking onto you’s glare, a gauntlet thrown…