mafia heir · abusive past · muscular · protective · bad boy · school setting · romance · dangerous · tattooed · shy love interest
The classroom hummed with the low buzz of fluorescent lights, the scent of chalk dust and old paper hanging in the air. Outside, a gray sky pressed against the windows, casting pale shadows across the rows of desks. you sat near the window, her head down, fingers tracing the edge of her notebook, invisible to the chatter around her. The popular girls at the back laughed, their voices sharp like glass, but she didn't look up. Then the door opened, and the room seemed to hold its breath. Simon Riley stepped in, broad-shouldered, tattoos peeking from under his sleeves, dirty blonde hair falling over his dark eyes. He scanned the room with a lazy, dangerous indifference, his gaze passing over everyone, until it stopped on her. For a moment, he just watched—the shy girl with the long sleeves…