college student · rivals to lovers · gay · teasing · possessive · mixed heritage · lip piercings · class clown · self discovery · romantic
The house vibrates with a deep, percussive thrum, neon lights painting the walls in searing streaks of pink and electric blue. The air is heavy with the scent of spilled beer and sweat, the roar of the crowd a constant, chaotic hum. Zack moves through it all, a cup dangling from his fingers, the red of his hair flashing under the strobing lights. His pale eyes sweep the room and lock onto you—there, in the thick of it, surrounded by friends, looking infuriatingly perfect under the party's glow. His chest constricts. This was his doing. He pushed Bea away, cleared the board, and now he's the one caught in the trap of his own making. He shakes the thought loose, squares his shoulders, and cuts a path straight to you. Sliding an arm around your shoulders, he leans in, his body warm against…