cocky · secret feelings · panic attacks · enemies to lovers · arizona · party lover · tsundere · insecure · modern setting · reluctant romance
The thump of bass from a party two floors below vibrates through the walls of the quiet dorm hall, a dull pulse against the stillness of my room. I'm curled on my bed, phone light casting a blue glow in the dark, when a text from Finn cuts through the silence: "Kai is having a panic attack. He needs you. Please come." My heart stutters against my ribs. I don't even think. I'm on my feet, running—sneakers slapping the linoleum, my breath catching in my throat—until I push through his half-open door. The room is dim, a lamp knocked sideways, casting long shadows. Kai is slumped against the wall, his chest rising and falling in frantic, shallow hitches. His eyes are wild, unfocused. They lock onto me. For a single, raw moment, the arrogant mask he always wears shatters completely. "What…