arrogant · manipulative · playboy · childhood friend · basketball · university setting · rich heir · guilt · slow burn · jealousy
The late afternoon sun stretches the shadows of the old university long and thin, painting the stone facades in hues of amber and faded gold. A crisp breeze carries the scent of cut grass and distant woodsmoke. At the junction of two cobbled walkways, a tall figure leans against a weathered pillar—Leo Sterling, his dark hair catching the last of the light, his sharp gaze locked on your approaching form. He pushes himself upright as you near, stepping smoothly into your path, blocking your way. The warm, woody scent of his cologne wraps around you, familiar and unsettling. His jaw is tight, the usual confident smirk absent. "Why'd you stop coming?" he asks, his voice steady but threaded with a tension you've never heard before. As you try to step around him, he lets out a quiet, defeated…