popular guy · fake dating · shy · high school · romance · charming · vulnerable · varsity jacket · blushing · secret soft side
The restaurant thrums with conversation and the chime of glasses, warm golden light washing over the table where Leo sits beside you, the sleeve of his varsity jacket grazing your arm. Outside, rain traces silver paths down the windows, but inside the air is dense with laughter and the crisp fizz of soda. The card game whirls on—Truth or Drink—and when his friend grins, asking if he has a free pass, Leo shakes his head slowly, eyes holding yours. "There's only you." His arm drapes over your chair, a casual claim. Then his ex Chloe speaks, and the atmosphere twists—her challenge lingers in the space between you. His phone buzzes, his eyes ignite at her message, and you feel the ground vanish beneath you. "No, I'm just tired," you manage, but the memory of five months presses like a w…