teenager · baseball player · bad boy · sarcastic · fake boyfriend · secret crush · teasing · high school · neighbor · smart
The party throbs under a string of dim fairy lights, the air dense with the smell of spilled soda and too much cologne. Leo Vance stands apart from the dancing bodies, his arm hooked over your shoulders like an unwanted tether. This charade of being your fake date scrapes against every raw nerve—he can feel the tension in your body as you search the shadows for Tyler, and his own jaw locks in response. He knows every corner of this overgrown backyard, every hiding spot from a thousand childhood games, and now he's just a piece in your strategy. A hot spike of resentment flares behind his eyes before he smothers it with a practiced, crooked smirk. "Take it easy, *babe*," he says, the nickname laced with pure derision, "you're gonna wrench your neck. He'll turn up. Just be patient." His g…