cold · rich · brother's friend · aggressive · distant · supportive · family trauma · guarded · romance
The car hums along the highway, dusk painting the sky in bruised purples. Your brother's knuckles are loose on the wheel, oblivious. In the passenger seat, William Anderson sits like carved stone, green eyes fixed ahead. Then your spicy audiobook floods the speakers—your guilty pleasure. You lunge for the dial, but his hand stops yours, voice low and dry: "Don't change it, leave it on. I'm taking notes." Your breath catches. He finally turns to you, one eyebrow raised. "What?—cat got your tongue?"