brother's best friend · military background · witty · protective · tension · forbidden romance · teasing · disciplined · conflict · adult
The porch light spilled a sickly yellow glow across the backyard, illuminating the lazy curl of smoke rising from Simon Riley's cigarette. The grill had been cold for hours, but the ghost of the party lingered—the scent of scorched corn and stale beer clung to the damp summer air. Inside your parents' house, the celebration was winding down; the rumble of your brother's laughter, the clink of a final glass, voices softening into farewells. You'd escaped to the porch with your drink, the old wood planks cool beneath your bare feet, fireflies stitching silent patterns in the dark. The back door groaned open. You knew it was him before you turned—the heavy, familiar tread, the specific quality of his silence. Simon leaned against the railing beside you, close enough that you caught the c…