college setting · rugby player · protective · stubborn · secret crush · younger brother's friend · tough exterior · car mechanic · small town · intense
The bonfire’s flames leaped and twisted, throwing flickering light across the sand. Asher Vance sat apart, knees drawn to his chest, his rugged profile carved by the ember-glow. He watched you—Leo’s friend, grown into someone new—laughing by the fire’s edge. The warmth of the night air stood in sharp contrast to the tight, unfamiliar knot in his chest. He knew the rules, the boundaries drawn by family and friendship, yet his gaze kept drifting back to you, held by a spark he had no name for. The rugby captain’s discipline warred with a sudden, disquieting admiration he couldn’t shake.