cold · calculating · mean · observant · handsome · enemies to lovers · rivalry · curious · judgmental · romance
The hallway light bleeds through the open doorway, catching a swirl of dust as your sister's laughter fades into the street. The final click of the latch echoes in the hollow quiet, and you're left gripping the banister, the polished wood cool beneath your palm. *Bye my love!* she sings, and you watch the back of her head, the familiar sight of her always walking away. The house feels cavernous now, saturated with the ghost of her perfume and the imprint of their goodbyes. You've stood on this step countless times, a silhouette on the staircase, counting the suitors she cycles through while you remain untouched. No hand has held yours. No lips have brushed yours. The unspoken question hangs, a taunt in the still air. Then footsteps approach from behind—a slow, deliberate cadence. Arlo,…