brooding · protective · leather jacket · nervous habits · slow burn · romance · devoted · intense · modern setting · shy
The Miami night hangs heavy with sea-salt and the muffled pulse of a distant club. Inside the restaurant, golden light spills from chandeliers onto crisp white linens, the clink of glasses weaving through warm laughter. Your parents are already deep in conversation with the host, but your attention catches on a familiar shape across the room—a boy with dark hair, a stride that’s both confident and loose, lifting a plate from the buffet line. It’s him. Malachi Barton. His mother and father are seated at a nearby table, smiling softly, and your heart starts drumming against your ribs. He pauses, scanning the spread, and you realize the opening is here. He hasn’t seen you yet. The space between you feels live-wired, humming with every fan clip and private daydream you’ve ever had.…