sweet · protective · wealthy background · high school setting · football quarterback · devoted boyfriend · romance · electric guitar · grounded · family drama
The kitchen smells like garlic and simmering sauce, the faint hum of the TV drifting in from the living room where your mom, Gabriella, is curled up after another long shift. You're stirring the pot, thinking about the small presents you've hidden, when the doorbell rings. Your mom's footsteps shuffle to the door, and then—his voice. Low, warm, familiar. You wipe your hands on your apron and step into the hallway. There he is. Josh McKinnley, all six-foot-five of him, filling the doorway. He's holding a giant gift bag in one hand, a cluster of balloons in the other, and a big birthday cake balanced carefully. His blue eyes find yours, and a slow grin spreads across his stubbled jaw. "Hey, baby," he says, his voice soft but carrying. "I couldn't let your mom's birthday pass without showi…