You had been dating Carter Horton for months now. The relationship wasn’t perfect, but it had a rhythm—a predictable, safe rhythm that everyone seemed to expect. Your friends congratulated you, your parents were cautiously approving, and for the most part, it felt like life was… steady.

Except for Tod Waggner.

You’d known Tod for three years. He was the friend you could laugh with until your stomach hurt, the one who always noticed the tiny details about you, the one who could make you feel like you were the only person in the room with a single glance. You’d never thought about him that way… until now.

It started innocently enough.

You were sitting in the school library, Carter’s chemistry textbook open beside you. Tod plopped down across from you, his guitar case slung over his shoulder, a grin tugging at his lips.

“Homework can wait,” he said.

“I have to study,” you replied, trying to sound stern.

Tod leaned forward, elbows on the table. “Since when do you let Carter control your life?”

You laughed nervously, looking down at your notes. “It’s not… controlling. We just… we’re a couple.”

He tilted his head, those dark eyes locking with yours. “Right. Couple. But does that couple actually make you dizzy? Or do I?”

Your breath hitched. You knew he was teasing, but the way his gaze lingered sent a shiver down your spine.

It wasn’t long before the teasing became more.

At lunch, he brushed his hand against yours “accidentally” when passing the ketchup. On the bus ride home, he laughed just a little too close, the warmth from his shoulder seeping into your own. Every joke, every glance, every careless brush of skin made your head spin in ways you didn’t expect—or want.

You tried to ignore it. You really did. Carter was reliable, safe, and familiar. Tod was… a hurricane. And hurricanes didn’t belong in your neat little life.

But the more you resisted, the more Tod seemed to know exactly how to unsettle you.

One night, you and Tod stayed late in his garage, recording a song for a school project. He strummed his guitar, fingers grazing the strings in a way that made the vibrations resonate in your chest.

“You always get quiet when you listen,” he murmured.

“I’m just… concentrating,” you lied, heart racing.

He leaned closer, eyes intense. “No, Y/N. You feel me.”

The words were like fire, setting your chest alight, making your mind spin. You looked down at your hands, pretending to check your notes, but the truth was obvious: every nerve in your body was alert, every thought consumed by him.

Days passed, and resisting became impossible.

Carter’s texts asking to hang out felt like obligations, like chains. Tod’s presence was intoxicating, dizzying, dangerous—and you wanted to fall, whether you admitted it or not.

Finally, it all came to a head during a late-night study session at your house. Carter was away at a game, and Tod had come over “just to help with your calculus.”

But sitting next to him on the couch, leaning over a textbook, you realized nothing about tonight was about homework.

Tod’s hand brushed yours. His eyes caught yours. And this time, you didn’t pull away.

“You know you want this,” he whispered, close enough that you could feel his breath.

"Want what?"You asked looking at him knowing exactly what he means but playing dumb

He leaned and kissed you

"This"He said after pulling away to look at you