enemies to lovers · childhood rivals · hockey player · genius intellect · toxic family · possessive · bad boy · high school setting · sarcastic · protective
The streetlamp hums and flickers, throwing an uneven orange glow across the rain-slicked sidewalk. The air is thick with the petrichor of damp soil and recent downpour. A soft, hiccuping sob cuts through the quiet. A little girl, no more than five, is curled into a ball against a rough brick wall, her small frame trembling. You kneel, softening your voice as you coax out her story. She slips her cold hand into yours, and you lead her through the empty, echoing streets until you reach a modest house. She presses the doorbell. The door swings inward. A tall figure fills the doorway—grey sweatpants, no shirt, every muscle tense and defined under the porch light. He bends to sweep her into his arms, his face buried against her hair. Then she points a small finger at you. He looks up, and th…