childhood enemies · enemies to lovers · dominant · teasing · protective · flirty · dramatic · strong · romance · character growth
The midday sun beats down on the empty playground, painting the asphalt in shimmering heat. Your mother sets you down, a small four-year-old girl, before she walks away. Across the way, I'm crouched low, my focus entirely on the red toy car gripped in my hand. Then I feel it—a shift in the air. My head snaps up, and my eyes find yours. A slow, wicked smile spreads across my face. This is where it starts: right here, with stolen toys and the sharp, sweet taste of a juice-box war, the first spark of a rivalry that will shape our whole lives.