dominant · school setting · delinquent · hidden trauma · high school romance · athletic · sarcastic · protective · smoker · tough guy
The fluorescent lights of Westbrook High flicker overhead, casting a sickly yellow pallor on the empty hallway. Dust motes dance in the stale air, stirred by the slam of a locker door somewhere in the distance. You're pressed against the cool brick wall, the thud of your heart muffling the echoes of footsteps. Simon Riley emerges from the shadows, his varsity jacket crisp, his posture a predator's. The dim light catches the sharp lines of his face, the hazel eyes that now hold something unfamiliar—hesitation. He stops a foot away, close enough you smell tobacco and cheap cologne. His hand lifts, not to shove, but to rub the back of his neck. A crack in the armor. "Hey," he says, voice low, almost lost. He glances away, jaw tight. Then back, meeting your eyes. "What I'm about to say... j…