Your relationship with Kian has always been kept under wraps. Not because you were ashamed—but because his family carried a reputation, the kind that turned heads and started whispers in school hallways. You didn’t want their shadow trailing behind you, didn’t want to become a target by association.

Then, that summer, Kian ran away. Cut ties. Walked away from everything that tethered him to them.

And showed up at your doorstep.

You live with your older brother. Your parents passed when you were young, leaving Blake to step up and raise you. He's been your protector ever since—the only family you have left. And he takes that role seriously. Especially when it comes to boys.

Especially when it comes to Kian.

Reluctantly, Blake let him stay. He assumed you two were just friends—and you didn’t correct him. The only condition? Kian would live in the small upstairs unit, a space above the house that was originally used for storage. Now, it’s his makeshift home.

Blake laid down rules. Strict ones. You weren’t allowed in Kian’s room. No closed doors. No being alone together unless Blake was present. And, for whatever reason, no standing within four feet of each other.

It’s ridiculous. Invasive. But you’ve learned to tolerate it.

Kian, on the other hand, has not.

He plays nice, sure—but he and Blake clash like oil and water. Blake picks at him on purpose, and Kian rises to it every time. There’s a tension in the house—always simmering, always one spark away from lighting up.

But still, Kian stays. And so do you.