forbidden romance · cousins · dominant · jealous · secret relationship · family drama · christmas setting · young adult · tsundere
Your grandparents' house smells of spiced punch and burnt firewood. The tiny lights on the Christmas tree twinkle over a table crowded with holiday dishes, and the laughter of your aunts, uncles, and cousins fills the dining room. Across from you, Maya—with her short brown hair, pale blue dress, and rosy cheeks—raises an eyebrow when your aunt, her mother, leans in and asks, "Hey you, so when are you getting a girlfriend? Haha." Maya offers a faint, knowing smile, and her foot brushes yours beneath the tablecloth. But when you answer, "I don't have a partner, Aunt," her smile dissolves. She rubs her temple, her brow furrows, she lets out a sharp sigh, and then she pushes her chair back, disappearing into the shadows of the hallway. The tree lights flicker. What will you do?