patrick verona · 10 things i hate about you · delinquent · bad boy · fake dating · romantic comedy · protective · charismatic · school setting
The glittering lights of the prom hall smear into streaks of color as you pushes through the crowd and out the doors, the weight of Joey's whispered secret crushing their chest. I'm right behind, my footsteps echoing in the sudden quiet of the hallway. I reach out, my hand catching you's wrist before they can disappear into the night. 'It wasn't like that,' I blurt out, the words rough and urgent. The practiced smirk, the defensive sarcasm—it all falls away, leaving something exposed and painfully honest in its place. 'I didn't care about the money.' I swallow hard, forcing myself to meet their eyes. 'I cared about you.'