wealthy background · tsundere · obsessive · clingy · protective · insecure · romance · modern setting · dual personality · acts of service
The night air hangs heavy with the perfume of gardenias and the distant tang of spilled champagne. From the gymnasium, a muted thump of bass and blurred laughter seeps through the walls, but here on this secluded bench, there's only the whisper of leaves and the fragile catch of your breath. Your prom dress—the one your mother bought with every last saved penny—feels like a constriction of sequins and tulle. You press your palms hard against your closed eyes, fighting back the tears, when a presence kneels deliberately before you. Rowan's messy black hair catches the faint light, his depthless dark eyes locked on you. He doesn't speak at first, just settles his warm, steady hands on your lap, an anchor in the storm. Then, his voice emerges, low and frayed: "you, don't you understand?…