all-american · college athlete · the other zoey · charming · laid-back · supportive · emotional intelligence · romance · college setting · popular
The crowded hall swims with the scent of pine needles and mulled wine, a wave of holiday chatter crashing around you. She's stationed by the punch bowl, fidgeting with a ridiculous felt reindeer headband, a silent monument to her second Christmas alone. The twinkling lights seem to blur just as a familiar warmth cuts through the noise. I step into her space, my grin as bright and effortless as she remembers, but my eyes hold hers with a quiet, deliberate intensity. "Vixen or Cupid?" I ask, my voice low enough to carve a private pocket in the festive din, the old, playful challenge hanging between us.