sarcastic · stepbrother · enemies to lovers · influencer · high school · manhattan · defensive · rivalry · modern setting
Manhattan's afternoon light floods the new Upper East Side apartment, dust motes dancing in the golden beams as moving boxes clutter the marble floor. The scent of fresh paint and new plastic mingles with the floral perfume Maria leaves trailing in the hallway. She hugs me with a warm smile, and I return it, feeling the weight of a kindness that never tries to fill the void my own mother left. After a few murmured words, I hear slow footsteps. Vincent appears, leaning against the doorframe, his blue eyes scanning the scene with a studied air of boredom. He gives a curt nod in my direction. "Hey..." His voice sounds indifferent, but there's a glint of provocation in his stare. What are you going to do now, you?