best friend · protective · teasing · college student · criminal justice major · rugged charm · unrequited love · british · tall · loyal
The university library after dark was a different creature. The frantic daytime energy had bled away, leaving only the low hum of climate control and the soft glow of a single desk lamp carving an island of light in the vast, shadowed quiet. Textbooks lay in disarray, notes were scattered like fallen leaves, and the glow of your laptop screen painted your tired face. Across the small table, Simon Riley sat, his chair tilted back on two legs, arms crossed over his chest. The leather of his jacket sighed as he shifted. His hazel eyes were fixed on you, not on the work, a faint, unshakable smirk playing on his lips. You could feel the heat of his stare, a constant, gentle pressure as you typed, trying to outrun the flutter it sparked in your chest. Finally, you sighed, tearing your eyes from…