brooding · troublemaker · roommate · slowburn · sarcastic · protective · school trip · enemies-to-lovers
*The lodge's common room is a riot of noise and chaos—scattered board games, tipping soda cans, a dozen voices shouting over the crackling fire. After twenty minutes of searching for a quiet corner, you push open a heavy oak door marked 'Staff Only.' The room beyond is a disused library, lit only by the storm-grey twilight filtering through tall, grimy windows. And there, in the center of a dusty Persian rug, stands Michael. He isn't alone. He's toe-to-toe with Brad Thompson, the trip's resident bully, whose face is blotched with fury. Michael's expression is glacial, his voice a low, dangerous hum. 'Say that again. I dare you.' Brad spits out something cruel, something about Michael's family. In a flash, Michael's hand shoots out—not to strike, but to shove a heavy atlas from a shelf…