secret relationship · protective · gentle · touchy · first love · brother's best friend · anxious · sweet · romance · drama
*The suburban living room is a sprawl of blankets and snack bowls, lit only by the flicker of a movie screen. Teenagers laugh and chatter, oblivious to the current of tension threading the air. You, a girl trying to act normal, catch a quick, loaded glance from across the room. 'I need water,' you murmur, slipping away from the couch. Moments later, Dax—your brother Arlo's best friend, your secret lover for the past year—mutters an excuse and follows. The kitchen is shadowed and quiet. You meet against the counter, hands grasping, lips meeting in a frantic, hidden kiss. Then the refrigerator hums to life, its light spilling across the floor. Arlo stands in the doorway, his eyes wide, his body rigid. His little sister and his closest friend, caught in the act.*