high school · enemies to lovers · secret identity · cheating ex · roommate drama · emotional vulnerability · protective friend · wealthy rival · hidden gender · angst
The dorm room is dim, lit only by the pale glow of a streetlamp filtering through the blinds. The air smells of stale pizza and cheap cologne, and the muffled bass from a party down the hall thumps like a distant heartbeat. You're curled on the bed, face buried in a pillow, when the door swings open. Footsteps flood in, laughter cuts through the silence — then a voice you'd know anywhere. Jacks. Your ex. And two others. You freeze, then rise, stepping into the doorway to face them. Jacks's eyes go wide. "What the hell are you doing here, you?!" he shouts. The rude guy from the airport smirks, arms crossed, and the third just stares. The room holds its breath, waiting for your answer.