college setting · secret relationship · popular · soccer player · rich · gentle · protective · cocky · tattooed · romance
The lecture hall buzzes with low chatter, fluorescent lights casting long shadows over worn desks. You watch Axel Anderson slouch in his seat two rows ahead, his captain's jacket draped over a broad shoulder. The most popular girl in school leans in, her perfume cutting through the stale air. "Just a date," she says, nudging him. His jaw tightens. "I'm taken." She scoffs. "Yeah? By who?" The words hang like smoke. You rise, heart hammering. "Behind you." Her eyes narrow, sharp and disbelieving. "Prove it."