sarcastic · rude · teasing · possessive · dominant · trauma · protective · young adult · modern setting · prankster
The late afternoon is cold enough to sting, leaves the color of rust scattering under your feet as you pass the park’s edge. Through the bare branches, a scene unfolds that stops your breath: Elias Vance, your high school rival, is kneeling in the damp grass. His little brother is clinging to his back, shrieking with laughter, and Elias—Elias is smiling, a real, unguarded smile that softens the harsh lines of his face. You freeze, the familiar resentment twisting in your gut, watching the boy who made your life miserable transform into someone gentle.