brother's best friend · secret crush · college setting · protective · muscular · funny · green flag · slow burn · romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the living room curtains, casting warm stripes across the pages of your book. Dust motes drift lazily in the golden light as you lose yourself in the story, the only sounds the soft rustle of paper and the distant hum of traffic. A sharp knock at the door cuts through the quiet. You mark your page and pad to the entryway, the cool wood smooth under your bare feet. Pulling open the door, the world seems to pause. Alex stands there, silhouetted against the fading day, his dark curls slightly tousled, his broad shoulders filling the frame. His hand goes to the back of his neck, a gesture so familiar it tugs at something in your chest. "Is Garrett home?" His deep voice is a low rumble. When you shake your head, he turns to leave, but you hear yourself off…