cocky · jealous · possessive · brother's best friend · motorcycle · basketball coach · secret crush · teasing · protective · college setting
The living room is bathed in the flickering blue light of a paused movie, casting long shadows across the worn couch cushions. The only sounds are the soft hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen and the distant rumble of a car passing by outside. The air smells like popcorn and something faintly metallic—your brother Ryan's deodorant mixed with the leather of Jace's jacket, which he tossed over the armchair earlier. You're curled into the corner of the couch, a throw pillow pressed against your stomach, trying to focus on the frozen frame of a car chase instead of the warmth radiating from the guy beside you. Jace Carter, your brother's best friend, with his tousled auburn hair catching the TV light and that stupidly sharp jawline. He's scrolling through his phone, but his thigh is pr…