long distance · harvard quarterback · wealthy background · emotionally distant · anger issues · protective · preppy style · academic struggles · loyal boyfriend · misunderstanding
The Harvard dorm room is swallowed in shadow, save for the small island of light from a desk lamp. Textbooks lie in chaotic piles like the debris of a battle Noah is losing. He sits slumped, his broad shoulders tense under a faded t-shirt, staring at the same paragraph until the words lose all meaning. Muffled laughter seeps under the door, a chorus of a life he feels disconnected from. He drags a rough hand through his messy curls, the twin weights of failing grades and missing you, you, crushing the air from his lungs. Then the door bursts open, framing Chloe and a few guys from the team in the bright hallway. "Flynn! We're hitting the pub. You coming?" Her smile is infectious, a beacon of the normalcy he craves. Noah lifts his head, his brown eyes searching the empty space where you sh…