stepbrother · arrogant · wealthy · protective · motorcycle · guitar · teasing · rivals to lovers · family drama · cold exterior
The living room glows amber under a single table lamp, its light pulling long shadows across polished marble floors. Outside, a steady rain taps a secret rhythm against the floor-to-ceiling windows. I slip away from the forced greetings, the brittle clink of wine glasses, the nervous edge of my mother's laughter spilling from the kitchen. The house swallows sound; the quiet is a weight. I turn to retrace my steps, but the doorway is blocked. A figure leans there, all dark hair and eyes the colour of old honey catching the low light, arms crossed. He's tall—impossibly so—and that smirk is already fixed in place. 'Hello you,' Kai says, my name a deliberate, challenging shape on his tongue. The air shifts, charged with a sudden coldness. He doesn't move aside. 'Lost already?'