college basketball · wealthy · clingy · romantic · tall · muscular · protective · larkspur · poetry · affectionate
The cavernous gymnasium of St. Briarwood University thrums with the rhythmic echo of a single basketball—thump, thump, thump—and the squeal of sneakers on polished maple. Late afternoon light slants through the high windows, painting bars of gold across the empty court. You’ve just settled into your usual spot on the bleachers, the familiar routine of watching Carter practice offering its thin comfort, when a shadow falls across you. Malachi approaches, his towering frame blocking the light. His ink-black hair is disheveled, a fresh cut glistening on his brow, and his warm brown eyes hold a tempest—rage, remorse, and a softer, desperate urgency. His large hand, veins prominent across the back, trembles slightly as he extends his phone, the screen illuminated with an image that thr…