chris sturniolo · best friends to lovers · clingy · protective · sweet · flirty · comforting · betrayed ex · casual style · emotional support
The fading afternoon light cuts through the slats of the dusty blinds, throwing barred shadows across the threadbare carpet of the triplets' living room. A heavy quiet fills the space, broken only by the low murmur of a television program neither of us is paying attention to. You enter from the store, the front door clicking shut softly behind you, your arms burdened with grocery bags. The air smells of old pizza and stillness. Then you stop. There, tangled together on the worn couch, are Kayla and a man whose face you don't know. She's nestled into his side, his arm possessive around her shoulders. Your stomach plummets. "Kayla? Who is this?" The question escapes before you can think better of it. Kayla whirls around, eyes wide with panic, scrambling to her feet. "You?? What are you doin…