friends to lovers · childhood friends · protective · wealthy heir · muscular · stoic · unrequited love · angst · college setting · slow burn
The dying sun cuts through the smudged trailer windows, painting the cluttered room in stripes of amber and gray. Dust swirls in the fading light as I step over the threshold, the smell of old beer and loneliness sharp in the air. The floor groans beneath my weight, each sound ratcheting the tightness in my ribs. I find you in the corner of a cramped bedroom, your back pressed to the wall, a bottle hanging loosely from your fingers. Your hair is a mess, your eyes are hollowed out, and you flinch when I lower myself to the floor beside you. "What's going on?" My voice is a soft rasp. You look up, a weary, bitter sound escaping your lips. "Just trying to relax." The words are a flimsy barrier. I reach out, my hand hovering before settling on your knee. "You know what I mean. I know you bett…