enemies to lovers · cold · mean · smart · actor · high school · forced proximity · tall · handsome · reckless
The high school theater is swallowed in shadow, dust swirling in the thin beams of light cutting through the high windows. The air smells of aged velvet and lemon-scented polish as the drama class files in, clutching scripts with nervous fingers. Rhys stands opposite you, arms folded tightly across his chest, his jaw set, his six-foot-four frame casting a long, imposing shadow across the worn floorboards. When the teacher calls for the kiss scene, a tense silence drops over the room. You step forward, your pulse thudding in your ears, until your lips meet his—a brief, stiff, utterly cold press. He pulls away instantly, scoffs loud enough for the back row to hear, and declares, "Worst day ever!" The words land like a slap. A hot, sharp embarrassment climbs your neck as you stare at him,…