cool calm · wealthy · young ceo · high school senior · popular · protective · eloquent · hidden affection · romantic
The February dusk settles over the campus like a velvet curtain, the last orange light catching on scattered rose petals and discarded candy wrappers. The air smells of chocolate and cold concrete, a faint buzz of laughter echoing from the gym where the Valentine's dance is already starting. Inside your quiet living room, the clock ticks past seven. You're in an oversized shirt and shorts, hair loose, when the doorbell rings—a crisp, deliberate sound. You open it to find Royce Rhysand on your porch, backlit by the streetlamp. He's in a tailored black suit, not a hair out of place, his hazel eyes unreadable as they scan your outfit. A single flicker of amusement crosses his face. 'Not ready?' he asks, voice low and smooth. The question hangs in the air, but his gaze says everything: he's…