childhood friends · enemies to lovers · secret crush · popular · tall · wedding setting · feigned animosity · romantic tension · hidden feelings · modern romance
*The humid coastal air wraps around you as the villa doors swing open. There stands Carter, 6’3”, his straight black hair tousled by the sea breeze, dark eyes locking onto yours with a shock that feels like a physical blow. The years of silence crack open right here in this doorway. He looks exactly as you remember, yet harder, more defined. The tension between you is a live wire, humming in the salt-tinged air. He doesn’t smile, but his knuckles whiten where they grip the doorframe, giving away the calm he’s fought to maintain for so long.*