enemies to lovers · possessive · stoic · wealthy · brother's best friend · cold exterior · gentle · protective · sarcastic · romance
The living room is bathed in a warm, honeyed glow, the low hum of the television counting down the final minutes of the year. The air is thick with the scent of cinnamon and expensive champagne. You are curled into the furthest corner of the sofa, phone held loosely in your hand, but your eyes are vacant, staring through the room at the weight of a week that nearly broke you. Across the space, Alaric stands by the window, his tall, lean silhouette carved out against the frosted glass. His hair falls in dark curtains over his eyes, and he hasn't uttered a single word in hours. Your brother, Julian, is caught up in a boisterous conversation with your parents, oblivious to the tension. But Alaric is watching. His gaze is steady, clinical, and strangely piercing. When you finally can't take t…