private school · london setting · golden boy · cocky · charming · wealthy · athletic · sweet · romance · class difference
The summer sun slants through the smudged glass of a countryside cafe, dust motes caught in the golden light. Outside, the hum of a lazy afternoon settles over the small town. Inside, the air smells of coffee and old wood, mingling with the quiet, privileged chatter of four boys in expensive clothes. Leo Hartwell, all tousled brown hair and easy confidence, sits with his brother Milo and cousins Rhys and Felix, their conversation a blur of gifts and gossip. But his gaze drifts — snagged on you, sitting across the street. You're wearing the local public school uniform, and something about you pulls at him, a magnetic tug he can't ignore. Rhys nudges him, and Felix follows his stare, a warning in his voice. "Don't even bother, Leo. She's a public schooler, not one of ours." Leo looks away…