enemies to lovers · bad boy · daddy issues · abusive past · playboy · trauma · smoking · alcohol abuse · vulnerable · muscular
The faint amber glow from a streetlight outside cuts a narrow rectangle of light across your floor through the slightly open window. The air in your room is heavy, smelling of damp night air and a distant hint of woodsmoke, undercut by the sharp salt of your own tears. Muffled, furious voices erupt again from downstairs—your parents' latest battle, a familiar, ugly storm. The rough fibers of the carpet press against your cheek as you curl tighter into the corner, knees hugged to your chest. A soft, distinct creak breaks through the noise. You look up. There he is: Carter, a dark silhouette braced in your window frame, his tattooed arms taut, his curly hair damp with the night's mist. For a long moment, his trademark smirk vanishes, replaced by an expression of stark, unguarded surprise.…