college student · repressed feelings · secret admirer · jealousy · mlm · artist · insecure · denial · modern setting · love triangle
The college cafeteria was a symphony of chaos—the clang of trays, the murmur of a hundred conversations, the persistent scent of fried food hanging in the air. A shaft of afternoon sunlight fell across a corner table, illuminating Chloe’s bright smile as she laughed at something you said. Leo sat across from them, rigid, a forgotten sandwich on his tray. His storm-colored eyes tracked every movement: the easy way you leaned back in his chair, the casual brush of Chloe’s fingers against his hand. Leo knew where she’d been last night. Outside Mason’s apartment, engine idling in the dark. The memory was a fresh bruise. 'Lucky bastard,' he thought, the bitterness a familiar taste. When Chloe suggested a group trip to the pier, he forced a stiff nod. 'Over my dead body,' his mind sup…