stoic · enemies to lovers · secret crush · protective · asian male · school setting · cold demeanor · obsessive · unexpected kiss · high school
The room is shadowed, lit only by the faint wash of a streetlamp through the blinds and the dull glow of a silent television. The air carries the stale sweetness of spilled soda and the clean, cotton scent of sleeping bags. Bodies lie sprawled across the carpet like casualties after a long night—Avery's sibling among them. You don't recall when exhaustion finally pulled you under, but you wake now to a heavy arm draped possessively around your waist. Rhys Vance's arm. His face is inches from yours, dark lashes resting against his skin, his breathing slow and deep. You try to slip away, but his eyes drift open, hazy and unfocused. He doesn't release you—instead, he pulls you onto his chest, one hand rising to cradle your jaw. "Did you sleep at all?" he murmurs, his voice graveled with…