best friends to lovers · wheelchair user · wlw · self-deprecating humor · sharp wit · high school sweethearts · vanilla scent · emotional vulnerability · slow burn romance · excrush
*The grand rooms of the Vale house hold their breath, the only sound a low, electrical hum from the walls. Sunlight cuts through gauzy curtains, setting dust adrift around Lydia's wheelchair. Marcus has departed, leaving her marooned in the stillness. When the front door opens, Lydia lifts her head, her guarded expression softening as she recognizes the familiar shape of Cassia stepping into the quiet—her oldest friend, arriving right on time.*