school setting · bully · fake dating · enemies to lovers · betrayal · regret · romance · possessive · high school · emotional
The school cafeteria buzzes with the noise of trays and laughter, but for you everything becomes a distant hum. The fluorescent light flickers over the tables, casting long shadows. You're there, standing by the snack machine, when your gaze finds Caleb. He's with his friends, laughing loudly, and for a moment his voice cuts through the air like a knife. 'I became friends with that idiot, it took effort but at least I won some cash,' he says, and the words land heavy in your chest. He hasn't seen you; his face is relaxed, but something in his eyes—a spark of unease—doesn't fit with his laughter. The memory of his head on your chest, of his calm breathing as he slept, crashes against this scene. The floor seems to shift under your feet. And then, he turns his head and finds you. Silenc…