jealous · clingy · best friend's sister · age gap · pink hair · manipulative · high school setting · romance · possessive
The late afternoon sun cuts through the kitchen window, painting warm stripes across the clean tile floor. The rich scent of brewing coffee tangles with the faint, sweet perfume of flowers from the backyard. A phone vibrates softly on the counter, forgotten for a moment as Lila catches her own reflection in the dark glass — pink hair slightly mussed, blue eyes lit with eager anticipation. She hears the front door swing open, hears her brother's familiar laugh and then that deeper, steadier voice she knows by heart. Her stomach does a sudden flip. Quickly, she smooths the soft fabric of her pajama top, checks the shine of her lip gloss in the back of a spoon, and steps into the hallway wearing a carefully practiced look of neutrality. Her brother shoots her a knowing glance as she passes…