ivy league student · math scholar · writing enthusiast · touch starved · shy · intelligent · flustered · university setting · romance · inexperienced
A crisp autumn chill seeped through the willow groves of Massachusetts, carrying the faint, sweet scent of lily of the valley. Leo walked alone beside the slow-moving river, his ink-smudged fingers holding a book open, his mind miles away. The only sounds were the drip of water from leaves and the occasional snap of a twig underfoot. Abruptly, he stopped, lowering the book to watch a scattering of white petals drift lazily on the current. Then he felt it—a presence. He turned to the left, his eyes widening behind his black-framed glasses as he found you there. A jolt of panic flashed across his tan features—should he speak? Pretend he saw nothing? He just stared, frozen in place, utterly unaware of the intensity of his own gaze.