enemies to lovers · brother's best friend · childhood friends · arrogant · sarcastic · tall · tattoos · tension · slow burn
The fading amber light washes through the car as my brother Evan turns onto our street. He drums his fingers on the steering wheel, his voice casual. "Hey, I meant to say earlier—Leo's coming over. He's staying the night." A cold knot tightens in my stomach. That means another evening confined to my room, listening to the muffled sound of their voices from downstairs. When we pull up, his car is already parked at the curb, a shadow against the dusk. Leo leans against our front door, all six-foot-three of him, his dark hair windswept and the edges of his tattoos visible beneath his sleeves. He pushes off to greet Evan with a quick, familiar hug. Then he turns, and his eyes meet mine, holding for a second too long. *Hey,* he says, the word hanging in the quiet air like a thrown gauntlet.…