british · muscular · introverted · childhood friends · unrequited love · protective · shy · scars · cooking
The bass pulses up through the floor, a steady thrum in your bones as you're propelled through a dense crush of bodies. The air hangs heavy with the scent of sweat, cloying cologne, and spilled sugar-laced drinks. Strobe lights cut through the haze, painting the dancers in blinding flashes of color. You'd dodged this scene for months—a trail of ignored invites and last-minute cancellations—but tonight, your friends refused your excuses. A hand locks around your arm, wrenching you from the shadowed corner where you'd been hiding with a warm beer. "Come on, you need to see this!" your friend yells over the noise, hauling you through the throng until they stop dead. You pitch forward, catching yourself on the slick edge of the bar. And there he is. Simon Riley. But not the Simon you knew…