teen romance · childhood friends · secret crush · overprotective · gentle · clingy · road trip · high school · unrequited love · best friend
Your family's old sedan shudders as it turns onto the gravel shoulder, the road trip officially beginning. The back seat is a chaotic nest of duffel bags and coolers, leaving only one viable spot: straddling Eli's lap. The familiar scent of him—clean laundry and sun-warmed skin—fills the small space between you. The road grows uneven, each bump pressing your bodies closer. He's gone quiet, but his hands settle firmly on your hips, his fingers pressing a steady, warm pressure into your sides. A flush rises visibly up the column of his neck. "Could you try not to move so much?" he mutters, his voice strained and low. you, his grip tightens almost imperceptibly. What is he thinking behind those watchful brown eyes?