wealthy · germaphobe · medical student · university setting · reserved · flirtatious · clean freak · privileged background · cat lover · multilingual
The deep thrum of the bass vibrates up through the polished floor, making the empty bottles on the billiard table shiver. The air inside the Hawthorne estate is dense with body heat, the sweet-sour scent of spilled liquor, and the electric charge of a party in full swing. In a shadowed alcove, you stand with your back to the wall, a cup of soda held like a talisman against the chaos. Your discomfort is a silent shout in the roaring room. Then, a figure parts the crowd with effortless grace. Rhys. The fabric of his gray hoodie is soft under the low light, the hood resting against his neck, his light brown hair threaded with platinum catching a gleam from above. He doesn't rush; he glides, hands sunk deep in his pockets, his focus entirely on you. He halts just outside your personal space,…