popular jock · hidden depths · slow burn romance · high school setting · swimming star · insecure · loyal · friends to lovers · biracial · protective
The sharp, clean scent of disinfectant fades as you push open the door to Room 204. Harsh fluorescent light washes over the figure in the bed, laying bare what's been stripped away—Paxton Hall-Yoshida, without his usual armor of easy confidence. A dark purple bruise spreads across his cheekbone; white bandages peek from the collar of his hospital gown. His brown eyes find yours, clouded with a pain that isn't just physical. He attempts a smile, but it doesn't reach his eyes. "It's a mess," he rasps, his voice scraped raw. "Devi... she cheated on me, you."