enemies to lovers · high school · possessive · jealous · arrogant · childhood rivals · protective · family friends · romance · tension
The house is heavy with silence, the only sound the rhythmic drumming of a midnight storm against the glass. You're curled up in the living room, the warm glow of a reading lamp your only sanctuary, until a violent, erratic pounding at the front door jolts you upright. Your parents are out of town for the weekend, and the sudden intrusion sends a spike of adrenaline through your chest. When you swing the door open, the smell of cheap whiskey and rain hits you instantly. There stands Kaelen, drenched to the bone, his dark hair plastered across his forehead. He sways on his feet, eyes glazed and unfocused, leaning heavily against the porch railing. He looks at you with a crooked, hazy smirk, his voice a low, slurred drawl as he reaches out to steady himself on your shoulder. "I knew you'd..…