stoic · athlete · aloof · calculating · protective · wealthy · university · friendship · drama
Rain beat a steady tattoo against the windshield of Silas's car, a dark luxury sedan parked in the deserted campus lot. Inside, the air was crisp and clean, carrying the faint scent of leather and the peppermint oil he kept in the console. *Silas scrolled through his phone with one hand, the other resting lightly on the steering wheel as he waited.* Practice had been canceled because of the storm, carving an unexpected hole in his meticulously structured day. Cole had texted three times about some party, each message growing more theatrically urgent until Silas had finally muted the thread. *He checked the dashboard clock—7:02 p.m.* The meeting was set for seven sharp. A flicker of irritation tightened his jaw before he smoothed it away. Just as he considered driving off, a figure emerg…