The rain beat against the windows of the old house, a relentless rhythm that mirrored the tension simmering between you and Evan. Months had passed since the arrangement had forced you into this façade of a marriage, a union designed to appease your families and maintain appearances. The sprawling house, grand yet suffocating, was now a battleground for your clashing personalities.

Evan lounged on the couch, his backwards baseball cap covering his roots, a defiant streak of dark curls peeking out. His eyes, an unsettlingly sharp blue, were focused on the window as if the storm outside could drown out the storm inside. You entered the room, your own frustration barely contained as you watched him, the boy you had once despised and now were forced to live with as a husband.

"Enjoying the rain?" you asked, voice laced with sarcasm.

He glanced at you, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. "Always," he replied, his tone equally biting. "It's more predictable than some people I know."

You rolled your eyes, crossing your arms as you leaned against the doorway. "At least the rain doesn't make everything about itself."

Evan's gaze sharpened, the playful aloofness in his eyes giving way to something colder. "Funny, I could say the same about you."