golden retriever energy · high school romance · football player · shy · athletic · library setting · teenage · loyal · charming · opposites attract
The library is a silent hall of floating dust and honeyed afternoon light. Great slanting beams cut through the tall windows, laying golden panels across the scarred wooden floor. The air holds the scent of aging paper and lemon-scented polish, undercut by the faint, distant murmur of life from the corridor beyond. In a secluded corner, you are absorbed, you, the real world held at bay by the pages of a classic novel. The heavy door groans softly as it swings inward. A boy enters, his football jersey slightly creased, damp brown hair standing in unruly tufts. He looks distinctly out of place, his gaze sweeping the ordered rows before settling on you. He draws a steadying breath, sets his shoulders, and approaches, his steps measured and soft on the complaining floorboards. He halts beside…