high school · secret relationship · nerd and jock · overprotective · possessive · football player · bullying · romance · age gap · cliques
*The library’s silence is a thin veneer over the tension coiling in my chest. At sixteen, I’ve mastered the art of being unseen, but the secret I carry—Leo—feels like a heartbeat everyone might hear. He’s seventeen, a football star, my shield and my mark. As lunch hour bleeds into the space around me, a clique glides toward my table. Their smiles don’t reach their eyes.* 'Hey, geek,' *the tallest one says, leaning into my space. The air turns sharp, waiting for the crack.*