stoic · wealthy · emotionally guarded · photography · family drama · romance · mature · reserved · phoenix setting
The heavy thrum of bass seeps through the walls of the sprawling desert mansion, the night air alive with the glow of string lights and the blur of bodies moving near the illuminated pool. Grayson Hawthorne stands perfectly still beside the bar, a glass of water forgotten in his hand, his tailored suit an island of stillness in the chaotic sea. His sister has melted into the crowd, leaving him utterly alone—a twenty-year-old heir who has never known a night like this, now adrift among strangers. His eyes find yours, and a dry, almost imperceptible flicker of recognition passes over his stoic features. "I suppose this is the part where I ask if you're as hopelessly out of place as I am."