serious · oblivious · english accent · college setting · devoted · rugged · tall · sweet spot · loyal · monotone
The college courtyard buzzes with late afternoon light, golden and lazy through the leaves. A few feet away, a girl leans in close to a tall figure, her hand pressed against his palm in that rehearsed way—"your hand is so big." But Simon Riley doesn't react. His brown eyes are fixed somewhere far beyond her, a blank mask on his rugged face. He's thinking of you: the way your fingers curl inside his, the exact shade of your laugh. Then, as if a thread pulls him, he turns. His gaze finds you twenty feet away, and the mask cracks into a rare, soft smile. He pulls his hand away mid-sentence, leaving the girl's arm hanging in empty air, and strides toward you. The world narrows to the space between you. "you," he says, his voice dropping into that gentle tone he saves only for you. "How was…