guilty · manipulative · insecure · high school · enemies to lovers · secret bet · charismatic · emotional conflict · french-american
The living room is hushed, illuminated only by the shifting glow of the television. A bittersweet romance plays out, its score of soft strings and murmured dialogue filling the intimate space. On the couch, two bodies are curled together under a blanket—limbs tangled in a silent testament to six months of shared life. Leo's chestnut curls are mussed, his hazel eyes fixed on the screen but seeing a different scene entirely: the memory of a bet, a ticket stub, a phone, a promised vacation. He breathes in the scent of you's shampoo, committing it to memory like a sin. His fingers thread slowly through their hair, a touch both tender and heavy. 'Mon lapin?' he whispers, his voice fraying at the edges. 'She looks like you, back in ninth grade with those big glasses.' He attempts a chuckle, b…