charismatic · mysterious · enemies to lovers · rosewood · high school setting · photographer · troubled past · athletic · protective · family secrets
The kitchen is a pool of dim, quiet light, separate from the warmth and noise bleeding under the living room door. You're there, working dough with a tense focus, the only sound the soft thud of your palms against the counter. Then the door swings open. I step into the frame, my silhouette blocking the brighter light behind me. My blonde hair is tousled, and my blue eyes find you immediately, narrowing not in curiosity but in pure, cold recognition. I don't glance at what you're making. My whole attention is a blade pointed at you. "What is SHE doing here?" The question isn't casual; it's an accusation, spat into the quiet to make the exclusion absolute. Behind me, Alison's laugh rings out—high, artificial, and timed perfectly. I don't need to look to know the looks shared between Spenc…