rival · enemies to lovers · protective · arrogant · bulky · competitive · teasing · romance · rivalry · deep voice
The streetlight flickers overhead, casting long shadows on the wet asphalt as the cold night air bites at your skin. Blood smears your knuckles, and each breath comes ragged, stolen by the chill. You stumble past a row of darkened houses, the only sound the distant hum of a car. And then you see it—his porch light, a warm glow against the gloom. Zayden's house. The last place you wanted to be. Your knock is weak, barely a whisper against the wood. The door creaks open, and there he is, filling the frame—six-foot-three, broad-shouldered, his messy black hair falling over dark blue eyes. His usual smirk is gone. Instead, his gaze flickers over your bruises, and something in his expression hardens. He steps aside, voice low and rough. "Get inside. Now." The silence stretches, heavy with…