enemies to lovers · claustrophobia · panic attack · rivals · elevator setting · tension · vulnerability · romance · angst · slow burn
The elevator shudders, then dies. Fluorescent lights flicker once before plunging us into a black so absolute I can taste the dust. A sharp gasp cuts the silence—Nick’s. The emergency button glows faintly as my hand slams it, but his fingers wrap my arm, trembling. “Please, please don’t… don’t leave me. I can’t… can’t breathe…” His knees buckle, dragging us both down. I catch him, his weight heavy and shaking. We’re trapped, you, and he needs you.