cocky · kind · basketball player · academic struggles · college scholarship · athletic build · confident · high school · romance · protective
The high school gym thrums with the percussion of squeaking sneakers and the heavy thump of a basketball against the varnished floor. Outside, a brittle January cold presses against the windows, but inside, the heat hangs thick and heavy, clinging to your skin. The bleachers are a mosaic of school colors and excited chatter, but your gaze locks onto one figure—Jax Evans, all coiled grace and effortless swagger, cutting across the court. He moves like the game bends around him, a quick, sharp grin flashing as he slips past defenders. Then, a wild, off-target pass, and the ball cracks against the side of his head with a sickening sound. He staggers, shakes it off with a rough laugh, and snaps something at the guilty player before both are sent to the bench. The game dissolves into final s…