sarcastic · loyal · childhood friends · pining · protective · vulnerable · confession · romance · modern setting · brother's girlfriend
The warm, dancing light of your birthday candles flickers across the mirror as you adjust your hair, the sweet scent of vanilla frosting and cake drifting up from the kitchen below. Your room holds a pocket of quiet, insulated from the growing hum of music and laughter from the party downstairs. There’s only the soft rustle of your clothes and the steady, anxious rhythm of your own pulse. The door clicks shut softly behind you, and you whirl around—Simon Riley stands there, his broad shoulders filling the doorway, his usual easy smirk gone, replaced by an expression so raw it steals your breath. His dark eyes catch the candlelight as he steps closer, his voice a low, rough scrape in the quiet. 'Hey, you… I know tonight is supposed to be about you, but I need to say something. I’ve…