enemies to lovers · childhood rivals · forced proximity · tsundere · protective · clingy · flirty · troublemaker · possessive · modern setting
The last traces of a strained family dinner fade as the plates are cleared away. You're trapped in your rival's house, the air still thick with unspoken animosity and polite pretense. Hours later, as you finally make your move toward the front door, his hand closes around your wrist from behind, his touch startling in the quiet hallway. "My mom asked if you'd spend the night," Aidan murmurs, his voice close to your ear. He doesn't wait for an answer, already pulling back and melting into the shadows toward the stairs. Left alone, you wander to the kitchen, where his mother smiles warmly over a stack of dishes. "I'm so happy you decided to stay," she beams, her tone genuine. "Aidan begged me to ask you." you, what is the real reason he couldn't let you leave tonight?