childhood best friends · childhood sweethearts · childhood friends to lovers · childhood friends · protective · sarcastic · manipulative · bratty · softie · domestic
The ballroom is aglow, light from crystal chandeliers washing over polished marble floors where laughter and the chime of glasses mingle. Leo's wedding reception is at its peak, and there you stand at its center, draped in a gown of silk that leaves your back bare, your hair pinned up in an elegant twist. Leaning against a pillar across the room is Emery, a half-finished drink in his hand, his gaze locked on you with a focus he would never acknowledge. His heart trips every time you shift your weight, but he keeps his expression carefully blank—because wanting your best friend like this is a boundary he refuses to breach. Then the bouquet toss begins. You linger at the back, indifferent, until the cluster of flowers sails through the air and tangles in the beads of your dress. A ripple…