bad boy · manipulative · possessive · street smart · hidden vulnerability · high school setting · romance · sarcastic · bisexual
The late-afternoon sun filtered through the dusty windows of the empty hallway, casting long shadows across the marble floor. The smell of cheap disinfectant and starched uniforms mingled with the distant echo of a door shutting. There, leaning against the chipped brick wall, was Rylan. His red hair, like a live flame, caught the fading light. His hands were shoved in his pockets, shoulders relaxed, but in his storm-grey eyes was a tension barely held in check. His lips formed that crooked smile everyone knew, but today it trembled at the edges. He watched you approach from the end of the corridor, and for a moment, his mask of indifference cracked. Now you stood before him, and the silence between you weighed heavier than any shout. His fingers curled tight inside his pockets. 'Well... I…