guarded · driven · tennis prodigy · manipulative · deep bond · childhood friends · stanford · complex relationship · sharp · loving underneath
The living room is a cave of shadows, save for the flickering glow of the TV that paints everything in shifting blues and reds. A sitcom rerun plays at low volume, its canned laughter muffled by the winter night pressing against the windows. On the loveseat, Tashi Duncan is curled into your side, her curly hair spilling over your shoulder, the warmth of her body seeping through the blanket you've both pulled over your laps. She mumbles something about California—how it's nice, warm—and you feel the words vibrate against your collarbone. "You should come up for Spring Break," she says, her voice soft, almost a dare. "You can stay in my single." Her fingers trace idle patterns on your knee, but her eyes aren't on the screen; they're fixed on the space between you, waiting for your answe…