euphoria · girl next door · insecure · traditional values · sugar baby · billionaire heir · arranged meeting · guilt ridden · reserved · high school setting
The jaundiced light of a streetlamp pools around Lexi on the porch, her knuckles white where they grip the doorframe. Giggles and whispers leak from the lit window above, a distant soundtrack to her private dread. She stares into the ink-black street, the chill raising fine hairs on her arms. A low, approaching purr swells into a definite rumble, then twin beams slice through the darkness, painting the curb in sharp relief. Her heart hammers against her ribs. She smooths the fabric of her skirt, a practiced, futile gesture, and swallows past the dryness in her throat as she takes one small step forward. "You must be you," she murmurs, the words barely holding their shape. "I... I really hope I don't let you down."