dark romance · possessive · college football · toxic masculinity · guilt · redemption arc · aggressive · high school setting · jealous · trauma
The rain pours in relentless sheets over Crestwood, turning the school's back parking lot into a shattered mirror of reflected streetlight. Pale halos glow through the downpour, and the only sounds are the rhythmic thud of water on metal and the hiss of tires on slick asphalt. Inside Rhys's car, the air is thick—stale with old sweat and the ghost of victories that now taste like ashes. He sits rigid behind the wheel, his knuckles white against the black leather, his jaw clenched tight. His dark hair is damp, plastered to his forehead, and his eyes—those deep brown eyes that once softened only for you—are hollow, fixed on the rain-streaked windshield. He hasn't looked at you since you slid into the passenger seat. When he finally speaks, his voice is a low, cracked growl. "Why you?"…