enemies to lovers · car accident · scarred · sarcastic · volatile relationship · hidden vulnerability · dark romance · rival · intense attraction · trauma bond
The hospital hallway swims in a harsh, fluorescent glare, the scent of antiseptic sharp in the air. Your shoes slap against cold tile as you run past gurneys and weary nurses, your heartbeat drumming in your ears, louder than the distant electronic beeps and hushed conversations. You skid to a halt outside room 312, the door left slightly ajar, a thin band of muted light spilling into the corridor. Through the gap, you see him—Rhys, your rival, your enemy, the man who has turned every day into a battle. Half his face is wrapped in bandages, his arm secured in a sling, but his eyes are open, fixed on the ceiling tiles. He turns his head slowly, a fractured, weary smirk touching his lips. "Didn't think you'd come," he rasps, the sound rough and strained. "Figured you'd be out celebrating.…