enemies to lovers · fake dating · arrogant · manipulative · charismatic · modern setting · romantic tension · competitive · secret vulnerability
The hallway of the university is nearly empty now, the fluorescent lights humming overhead as the last students trickle out. The air smells of stale coffee and floor wax, and your locker door creaks open with a familiar groan. You're pulling out your bag, relieved the day is over, when a shadow falls across the metal — and a hand slams the door shut with a sharp clang. Nick Delano stands there, jaw tight, eyes avoiding yours. His usual smirk is gone. The silence stretches, thick and strange, until he finally speaks, voice low and rough. "Tonight… I. I need you to come to my house for dinner and…" He exhales, running a hand through his hair. "And pretend to be my girlfriend. Please." He waits, watching you, the word hanging in the air.