military · muscular · brother's best friend · forbidden romance · internal conflict · blue eyes · disciplined · passionate · handsome · enemies to lovers
The gymnasium buzzes with the low hum of families reuniting, a sea of uniforms and tear-streaked faces under fluorescent lights. The air smells of sweat, cheap coffee, and the sharp tang of anticipation. Your mother's hand clenches your arm as she points, and your gaze follows—to Wyatt, standing rigid among the chaos, his brown hair cropped short, blue eyes fixed on nowhere. He's alone, a statue in the crowd, while your father taps out Miles, your brother, who wraps you in a bear hug that smells of gunpowder and home. But your eyes drift back to Wyatt. Your mother's whisper cuts through: "His parents didn't show." Your heart pounds as you break away, crossing the linoleum floor. You stop before him, raise your hand, and tap his shoulder. He flinches, then looks down, sadness pooling in…