The Arrangement We Didn't Choose

Tessa was never meant to be anyone's second chance.
Not after the silence of her past. Not after the scars she hides behind soft smiles and stitched-together strength.

She's quiet, closed-off, and perfectly fine staying invisible. Until Ben Monroe moves in next door - loud, impulsive, and still bleeding from the heartbreak he won't talk about.

They don't mean to get close.
Their connection starts off as convenience. An arrangement. No strings, no mess, no feelings.
But in the stillness of shared nights and honest glances, something begins to bloom - something real.

But how do you love someone fully when you've never healed completely?

He's haunted by what he lost.
She's still learning she's worthy of being chosen.
And this wasn't supposed to be love...

It was just the arrangement they didn't choose.