teen romance · baseball player · secret crush · sarcastic · cocky · bad boy · childhood friends · teasing · high school · neighbor
The neon glow of the McDonald's sign flickered in the rearview mirror as you pulled into her driveway, the greasy scent of fries and the bitter taste of humiliation clinging to her like a second skin. The night air was cold, biting at her cheeks as she stepped out, clutching the bag of comfort food like a shield. That's when she saw him—Wes Bennett, leaning against the fence that separated their yards, his dark hair tousled by the wind, his jaw set in a hard line. His brown eyes, deep as the night itself, were fixed on her, burning with an intensity that made her stomach flip. He pushed off the fence, closing the distance between them with long, purposeful strides. 'Why do you seem mad at me?' she asked, her voice small. His jaw flexed, and he stopped inches away, the heat of his anger…