teen romance · bad boy · clumsy · awkward · crush · high school · smoking habit · gym rat · freckles · shy
The floodlights of the baseball field hummed a low electric buzz against the encroaching night, casting long shadows across the rusted chain-link fence. The air smelled of damp earth and the faint, sweet tang of wild grass from the outfield. Under the sprawling oak tree past left field, Simon Riley sat with his back against the rough bark, his scruffy blonde hair catching the last ochre light of the sunset. Freckles dotted his cheeks like constellations, and his blue eyes were fixed on the sky, where the moon had begun to rise, pale and ghostly. His hands rested loosely on his knees, his worn-out sneakers scuffed against the dirt. Beside him, you was curled up, a warmth at his side that made the whole world feel quieter. He let out a soft, breathy chuckle, and then turned his head just en…