Close Enough To Burn (Sweet Surrender Desire #1)

bl | (Under Revision)

Eryx grew up in a family where he never truly felt seen. Ever since he was young, he had always lived under someone else's shadow-the son of his parents' closest friend. While Eryx had a petite appearance and softer features, the other boy fit the image everyone seemed to prefer. Slowly, favoritism turned into comparison, and comparison turned into pain.

As years passed, the gap between them only grew wider. By high school, Eryx became the target of constant bullying because of his appearance. One day, after enduring too much, he finally snapped and almost hurt the boy with a pair of scissors. From that moment on, everything changed.

People judged him without hearing his side. Hurtful words surrounded him. But what hurt the most was that his own parents never stood by him. Instead of understanding him, they blamed him.

When college started, his parents transferred him to another university with only one warning:

"Don't make trouble again."

No goodbyes. No concern. No warmth.

Now living alone, Eryx starts a new chapter of his life in an unfamiliar place. But his quiet routine suddenly changes when he meets someone in the apartment building where he stays-a rude, annoyingly intimidating guy whose very existence already gets on his nerves.

Their first meeting was nothing but chaos.

But what happens when the person you least want in your life slowly becomes the one who changes it?

Sometimes, being close enough to someone can either heal you... or burn you.

eryx & caleb