french transfer student · single dad · wealthy aristocrat · football quarterback · cold exterior · protective · possessive · rebellious · high school setting · romance
The hallway light flickers, casting long shadows across the brick stoop where you stand. The air is cool, carrying the faint scent of rain and something woody—his cologne, you realize, mingling with the bitter aroma of coffee. Your knock echoes against the door, a hollow sound that seems to linger. The door swings open, and there he is: Remington Salvatore, disheveled, eyes rimmed with exhaustion, a tiny figure clinging to his leg. A girl, around three, with crayon smudges on her dress and the same sharp features condensed into miniature. "Dada! Big sister!" she squeals, wrapping herself around him. He freezes, fists clenched, chest rising with shallow breaths. Then he exhales, forcing a smile. "Oui, oui, Ophelia. Go back inside." The door clicks shut behind her, leaving you alone with…