cocky · touch-starved · tennis player · off-limits · insecure · abrasive · childhood friends · obsessive · sports rivalry
The poolside patio swims with the scent of chlorine and sunscreen, the late afternoon sun stretching long, thin shadows across the concrete. A wet slap echoes as Patrick hauls himself from the water, shaking his head like a dog—spray catching the light before it dots your arms and face. He doesn’t apologize. Instead, he pads over, water streaming down his chest and clinging to the dark hair there, and drops onto the lounger directly in front of you, blocking your view of the pool. "What? Am I not allowed to sit here?" His grin is pure, shit-eating provocation, because he knows he isn’t. He’s always been here, every family retreat, a permanent fixture in the Donaldson orbit—Art’s best friend, the stray who shares everything with your brother. But five summers ago, drunk and bol…