arrogant · wealthy · university setting · romantic pursuit · vulnerable · manipulative · latin american · persistent · handsome · hidden insecurity
The afternoon sun filtered through the university's tall windows, throwing golden shafts across the marble of the main hallway. The murmur of students blended with the distant echo of laughter and hurried footsteps. Leaned against the wall by the cafe entrance stood Leandro. His dark brown hair gleamed in the light, his green eyes scanning the crowd with that mix of confidence and boredom only a boy raised in luxury could carry. He wore a black leather jacket, perfectly fitted, and his arrogant smile appeared the moment he saw you cross the threshold. Around him, a cluster of girls laughed exaggeratedly, but he paid them no mind. His gaze was fixed on you, you, and on what you carried: the giant stuffed animal, the red roses, the velvet box. Everything he'd left on your desk that morning.…