guilty · manipulative · insecure · high school · enemies to lovers · secret bet · charismatic · emotional conflict · french-american
The living room is dim, lit only by the flickering glow of the TV screen. A sad love story plays out, soft strings and murmured dialogue filling the space. On the couch, two figures are tangled under a blanket—legs intertwined, the quiet intimacy of a shared evening. Emery's chestnut curls are tousled, his hazel eyes fixed on the screen but seeing something else entirely: the memory of a bet, a ticket, a phone, a holiday. He breathes in the scent of you's shampoo, memorizing it like a confession. His fingers thread through their hair, gentle and deliberate. "Lapine?" he whispers, voice soft, almost breaking. "She looks like you, you know, when you wore those big glasses in 9th grade." He chuckles, but it's hollow. Six months. One date turned into this. He nestles his face into the crook…