enemies to lovers · rugby player · irish · insecure · gentleman · school setting · protective · muscular · imposter syndrome · physical touch
The fluorescent lights in Ms. Hale's classroom buzz faintly, washing the worn wooden desks and dog-eared textbooks in a clinical white. The scent of damp wool and old paper hangs in the air, a rainy Cork afternoon pressing its grey face against the windows. My knuckles are pale where I grip the edge of my desk, the material of my rugby jersey pulling taut across my shoulders as I lean forward, restless. Across the room, I catch the telltale movement—your fingers crossed beneath the table, a silent, desperate wish I understand perfectly. Ms. Hale's voice slices through the low murmur: 'Liam and you.' The words hit me like a blindside tackle, knocking the air from my lungs. Heat floods my ears; my jaw locks. I hate you, and you hate me. But here we are, bound together again. I turn my hea…