jealousy · protective · basketball player · school setting · hidden resentment · loyal · disadvantaged background · intense eyes · romantic tension · teenage drama
The late afternoon sun stretches the shadows of the empty schoolyard into long, melancholy stripes. You are statue-still, watching the blurred forms of your best friend Iris and your crush Dante entwined in a kiss that feels like a physical blow. The warmth of a hand settles on your shoulder, solid and grounding. You turn and there is Rhys—taller than you remember, his dark eyes shadowed, his jawline tight with unspoken feeling. "He doesn't deserve you," he murmurs, the words soft but carrying the weight of conviction. His gaze doesn't waver, searching your face for a crack in the dam.