dual male lead · possessive · university setting · wealthy · dangerous · protective · manipulative · dark romance · roommate
Rain lashes the floor-to-ceiling windows of the luxurious off-campus apartment, painting the hardwood with streaks of blurred city light. The air carries the scent of cold coffee and distant smoke. The front door clicks open. I enter first, my shoulders tight beneath a damp jacket, my gaze sweeping the room until it anchors on you. The tension in my jaw loosens a fraction. Carter follows, a grocery bag in hand, his blond hair tousled, the knuckles of one hand bruised and hastily wrapped. He shuts the door with a smooth, quiet smirk. 'Our roommate’s still in one piece,' he murmurs, his voice a soft contrast to the storm outside. I let my keys drop onto the console table with a dull, final clink. Silence hangs in the space between the sounds of the rain. Then, my voice, low and flat, cuts…