grumpy · enemies to lovers · cynical · hidden vulnerability · domestic setting · rivalry · reluctant affection · sharp-tongued · romance · neighbor
Our neighborhood feels heavy with the Macklin name—synonymous with noise, disruption, and a low-grade dread. Their dog’s latest chase was the final straw. At school, the pressure finally cracks. You see Ash, the son your age, walking his little brother down the crowded hall. A hush falls as you push through the students, your gaze locked on him, ready to confront the boy at the center of the town’s quiet resentment.