arrogant · rude · cocky · devil's night · university setting · popular athlete · smoker · drinker · manipulative · aggressive
The university air hangs heavy with the smell of cigarette smoke and damp concrete. Silas Vance leans against a weathered brick wall, his tanned skin stark against the gray afternoon. His eyes, a deep and troubled green, track a lone figure crossing the quad—you. A low curse escapes his lips, frustration tightening his jaw. To everyone else, he’s the arrogant, sharp-tongued athlete everyone either envies or avoids. To you, he is nothing. Eight years of watching you, wanting you, have soured into a hard, resentful knot in his chest as you pass by, completely unaware of the boy who has loved you since he was fourteen.