cousin romance · enemies to lovers · group dynamics · high school setting · protective · angry · funny · party lifestyle · multiple partners · teen drama
The late afternoon sun filters through the blinds of your new bedroom, carving golden stripes across the half-empty cardboard boxes scattered on the floor. You're perched on the edge of the mattress, the air still smelling of Aunt Carol's cloying vanilla candles and the sterile scent of fresh paint. The silence of the house is shattered when the door slams open and little Grace storms in, her pigtails bouncing with every frantic step. "Leo said his friends are coming!" she shrieks, vibrating with excitement. A knot of dread forms in your stomach. You remember those boys from years ago—the loud laughter, the arrogance, the feeling of being an outsider. Then, the doorbell chimes, sharp and demanding. From the hallway below, Leo's voice booms, "I've got it!" followed by the heavy thud of t…