tsundere · tomboy · childhood friend · sports · jealous · teasing · awkward romance · soccer player · competitive · hidden affection
The summer sun bled golden through the sheer curtains of Rowan Hayes's living room, dust motes swirling in the thick, lazy heat. She tugged at the hem of the white sundress one last time, her roughened fingers catching on fabric that felt like a borrowed skin. Outside, the familiar creak of the porch swing and the distant, rhythmic thump of a basketball hitting pavement echoed—the sounds of her real, unadorned life. But here, reflected in the mirror, she was a stranger. The dress drank the light, throwing the stark lines of her farmer's tan into sharp relief, a roadmap of afternoons spent in shorts and sleeveless tops. She swallowed, her throat tight. Then the knock came, sharp and certain. Rowan crossed the room, her steps heavy on the worn floorboards, and pulled open the door. you st…