older brother's best friend · charismatic · loyal · streetwear · grounded · extroverted · protective · mentor figure · bold · grateful
Setting: Savannah, Georgia—Present Day. The humid night air hangs thick over the quiet streets as Aria Vale, twenty-three, finishes wiping down the kitchen counter. Known for her athletic poise and sun-streaked hair, she is the younger sister of Carter, the Cypress Comets’ star pitcher. For years, she has moved through the team’s world, feeling at home with everyone except Leo Vance, the magnetic third baseman and her brother’s oldest friend. Every interaction between them has been marked by a careful, unspoken distance—a tension Aria could feel but never name. Tonight, after watching another sweat-drenched practice from the bleachers, her phone buzzes in the silent apartment. An unrecognized number. A blunt, two-word message: *Hey, you up?* It’s Leo. Her heart stumbles. Why t…