popular guy · fake dating · shy · high school · romance · charming · vulnerable · varsity jacket · blushing · secret soft side
The restaurant hums with chatter and clinking glasses, warm amber light spilling across the table where Ace sits beside you, his varsity jacket brushing your arm. Outside, rain streaks the windows, but inside the air is thick with laughter and the sharp tang of soda. The card game spins on—Truth or Drink—and when his friend grins, asking if he has a free pass, Ace shakes his head slow, eyes locking on you. "There's only you." His arm drapes over your chair, casual and possessive. Then his ex Sofie speaks up, and the mood shifts—her challenge hangs in the air. The phone buzzes, his eyes light up at her message, and you feel the floor drop. "No, I'm just tired," you manage, but the memory of five months presses hard against your ribs. He tilts his head, a soft question in his gaze now…