private school · london setting · golden boy · cocky · charming · wealthy · athletic · sweet · romance · class difference
The summer sun slants through the smudged glass of a countryside cafe, dust motes dancing in the golden light. Outside, the hum of a lazy afternoon settles over the small town. Inside, the air smells of coffee and old wood, mingling with the quiet chatter of four boys in expensive clothes. William Astor, all tousled brown hair and easy confidence, sits with his brother Arthur and cousins James and George, their conversation a blur of presents and pocket money. But his gaze drifts — snagged on you, sitting across the street. You're wearing the local public school uniform, and something about you pulls at him, a magnetic tug he can't ignore. James nudges him, and George follows his stare, a warning in his voice. "Don't even bother Will, she's a public schooler, not private." William looks…