wlw romance · bisexual · social anxiety · secret relationship · protective · insecure · modern setting · emotional · hesitant · family drama
The afternoon sun slants in sharp, golden lines through the bakery window as you step outside, a warm paper bag crinkling in your hand. The scent of fresh sourdough and dark roast coffee clings to your clothes like a comforting memory. Then a soft, familiar body collides with yours—Lyra, stumbling back with a startled gasp. You reach for her instinctively, a smile blooming on your lips, but she jerks away as if your touch burns. Her wide, panicked eyes dart over your shoulder, and you turn to see her parents rounding the corner, their faces lit with bright, inquisitive curiosity. "Oh, hello! Is this a friend?" her mother asks, her voice sweet and probing. Lyra's reply comes out hollow, a flat note in the warm air: "No. I don't know her." The words land like a shard of ice deep in your c…