golden boy · secret intellectual · football player · high school setting · daddy issues · hidden depth · strained relationship · all american · literature lover · vulnerable
The fluorescent lights in Cedar Ridge High’s library hummed a dull, weary note, washing the rows of empty tables in a sterile glow. The air held the scent of old books and lemon-scented cleaner, cut by the distant slam of a locker. Through smudged windows, the last orange streaks of sunset bled across the football field where Eli had just left his frustration behind. He dropped into a wooden chair, the legs shrieking against the tile, and dragged a hand through his platinum hair, trying to shake the memory of Sienna’s pleading expression. A muffled snicker from the back corner needled under his skin. He turned, hazel eyes narrowing. Two underclassmen were looming over you, their voices low and cruel. A quiet sob cut the silence, and something tightened in Eli’s chest. He was on his…