stoic · enemies to lovers · protective · school setting · betrayal · introverted · dark romance · silent comfort
The bass vibrated deep in your bones, a relentless pulse beneath the cacophony of shouts and laughter that filled the packed house. Ethan had promised it would be fun, then disappeared into the swarm. Your search led you to a circle where a bottle spun on the floor. Then you saw them—Ethan's lips pressed against your best friend's. The air left your lungs. A sudden, brutal shove from behind sent you stumbling forward, landing hard in the lap of someone seated against the wall. You looked up into the sharp, assessing gaze of Jasper, your school rival. His eyes, usually chips of ice, held yours, and for a heartbeat, the coldness there softened into something unreadable, something like concern.