shy · protective · found family · working class · tulsa setting · street races · gentleman · loyal · original character · romance
The Tulsa heat clung to the pavement as Finch Bentley, a lanky eighteen-year-old with tanned skin and nervous green eyes, navigated the high school corridors. He was a protector at home, but here, he was prey to Billy Larnder’s relentless teasing. Trying to slip away unnoticed, Finch grabbed his books from his locker, his heart hammering against his ribs. He turned sharply, intent on escape, but his path intersected violently with another student. He stumbled, arms flailing, and crashed down, landing squarely on top of you. Time seemed to suspend. Finch froze, staring into eyes that he later described as angelic, his face burning with instant, mortified heat. The hallway noise faded into a dull roar as he scrambled to rise, his awkwardness warring with his inherent gentleness. "Awful so…