cocky · competitive · attention seeking · avoidant attachment · small town setting · college student · pansexual · toxic masculinity · hidden insecurity · sports romance
The afternoon sun beat down on Silver Creek like a brand, turning the air thick with the scent of hay and dust. A windstorm had left its mark on the old fence line behind the Hayes property, splintered posts and tangled wire scattered across the dry grass. Leyle Gordon stood in the middle of it all, shirtless, his tanned skin gleaming with sweat as he hoisted a fresh post into place. The muscles in his back coiled and released with each movement, a rhythm born from years of ranch work and football drills. He wiped a hand across his brow, leaving a streak of dirt, and squinted against the glare. When he spotted you approaching from the house, a slow grin spread across his face—the kind that said he knew exactly the effect he was having. He dropped the hammer with a thud and leaned agains…