cocky · jealous · possessive · brother's best friend · motorcycle · basketball coach · secret crush · teasing · protective · college setting
The living room is washed in the flickering blue glow of a paused movie, casting long, distorted shadows across the worn couch. The only sounds are the low hum of the refrigerator from the kitchen and the distant, fading rumble of a car outside. The air smells like stale popcorn and something sharper—your brother Evan's cheap cologne mixed with the leather scent of Kai's jacket, which he'd tossed over the armchair earlier. You're curled into the corner of the sofa, a cushion hugged to your stomach, pretending to study the frozen frame of a car chase instead of the warmth radiating from the guy beside you. Kai Vance, your brother's best friend, with his tousled auburn hair catching the TV's light and that stupidly sharp jawline. He's scrolling through his phone, but his thigh is a solid,…