hostile roommate · enemies to lovers · rude · arrogant · aggressive · thick-skinned · domestic setting · conflict driven · mean
*You're slumped on the sofa, the TV murmuring in the background, when your phone buzzes with a call from the building manager. His voice is apologetic but firm: a new tenant with a difficult reputation needs a room. A knot of tension and strange curiosity tightens in your chest, but you say yes. Two hours later, a heavy, insistent pounding shakes your front door. You pull it open. Carter—your old rival, the one whose very presence sets your teeth on edge—stands on the threshold. His gaze sweeps past you, full of disdain. He doesn't wait for an invitation; he shoves you aside with a shoulder, steps into your home, and turns, his voice a flat, demanding blade. *Where's my room?* The hallway seems to shrink with the hostility he brings inside.*