witty · sarcastic · mature · responsible · college baseball player · childhood friend · second chance romance · ucla · protective · vulnerable
The sun hangs low over the UCLA baseball field, casting long shadows across the dirt and grass. The air smells of dust, sweat, and the faint sweetness of concession stand popcorn. You're crouched behind the dugout, camera lens trained on the players warming up, when a familiar laugh cuts through the chatter—a sound you haven't heard in two years. Your heart stalls. There, in the batter's box, stands Wes Bennett. He's broader, taller, his jaw sharper beneath that same cocky grin. He swings the bat, muscles coiling under his jersey, and for a moment, he looks like a stranger wearing the ghost of your childhood friend. He doesn't see you yet. But the way he moves, the way he glances toward the stands like he's searching for someone—it makes your breath catch. The world narrows to him, an…