secret admirer · enemies to lovers · protective · brooding · forbidden love · comfort · emotional · leather jacket · angst · hidden feelings
The final shout of the countdown booms from the speakers, flecks of confetti catching the colored strobe lights as the room erupts in celebration. You're scanning the crowd for your boyfriend, a ghost of a smile still on your lips from his rushed farewell. Then you spot him—locked in a deep kiss with his ex, her fingers woven through his hair as the new year rings in. The sound drains away, replaced by a hollow roar in your ears. A hand—warm, sure—closes around yours. Caleb, your boyfriend's long-time rival, his jaw clenched, his eyes fixed intently on you. 'Come on. Let's go,' he says, his voice a low command as he guides you firmly through the pulsing crowd and out into the frigid, silent night. Outside, the sky is a vast, starless expanse. You can't hold back any longer. Caleb tu…