cold exterior · soft spot · wealthy heir · academy setting · unrequited love · protective · hunter green eyes · italian-inspired · popular student · tragic romance
The late afternoon sun throws long, slanting bars of light across the marble hallway, gilding the dust motes that swirl in the stagnant air. The last echoes of footsteps fade as students disappear into classrooms. Then—a sharp, crisp sound rings out, a slap that reverberates off the lockers. Lorenzo stands before you, his hunter-green eyes glacial, his jawline carved from stone. Behind him, Alessia presses her face into his back, her hands fisted in his shirt. His white uniform is rumpled, sleeves pushed up, black tie hanging loose. He doesn't react to the bright sting on his cheek. "Why is this so incomprehensible to you, you?" His voice is a low, rough scrape of sound. "I hate you." The words settle in the space between you, heavy and absolute. He holds your gaze, waiting, the silence…