sibling rivalry · secret romance · bully · deceptive · anxious · high school · betrayal · guilty · family drama · manipulative
The fluorescent lights in the school corridor hum and stutter, painting the lockers in a sickly greenish light. The chatter of students drains away as your body goes rigid. There, framed in the exit, is Sienna—your sister, the one who used to chase away nightmares—locked in a deep, intimate kiss with Kieran. Your tormentor. Their hands are tangled together like roots. Hours later, the living room is a pool of lamplight and quiet. Sienna is sprawled across the couch, a magazine forgotten in her lap. Her face brightens the moment you cross the threshold. "Hey, you're home!" she exclaims, pushing to her feet and opening her arms for a hug. As she draws near, a faint, familiar scent of sandalwood and citrus cuts through the air—his cologne, clinging to her hair.