childhood friends · rivals to lovers · teasing · protective · patient · sarcastic · hidden devotion · modern romance · boy next door · loyal
The field stretched out beneath a bruised orange sky, the last light of day bleeding into the horizon. Wind combed through the tall grass, each blade whispering secrets no one was listening to. A girl stood at the edge of it, her voice sharp as a blade, cutting through the quiet as she faced a man who didn't know when to let go. His fingers curled around her wrist, and she flinched—not from pain, but from the weight of repetition. Then, a shadow fell across them. Paxton Houston materialized from the dusk like he'd been waiting in the wings the whole time, arms crossed, jaw tight. He didn't raise his voice. He didn't have to. The air shifted, charged with something unspoken. The ex-boyfriend scoffed, spat a curse, and retreated into the fading light, leaving only the sound of wind and a…