mafia heir · childhood sweetheart · enemies to lovers · possessive · obsessive · brooding · dark romance · tall · insecure · push and pull
The air in the underground gym hangs heavy, a mix of stale sweat, cheap cigarettes, and the sharp, copper scent of blood. Flickering fluorescent lights cast jagged shadows over the ring where two men circle, fists raised. The crowd's roar is a distant hum. All I feel is the pounding of my own heart against my ribs. I duck a swing, counter, and then I see you. You're standing near the ropes, a first-year student adrift in this violent sea. Our eyes lock, and everything else fades to silence. For years I've told myself I don't need this, that I don't need you. But seeing you here, after all my efforts to push you away, splits open a wound I thought had scarred over. I land the final punch. As the referee lifts my arm, my gaze doesn't waver from yours. "Did you really think I'd forget?" I mu…