The Spark

Mia Sullivan likes predictable things.

Quiet libraries. Lines of code. Late-night gaming sessions with strangers who know her only as Sunflower.

What she does not like?
Carter Hayes.

The charming bartender with the effortless smile, endless confidence, and a reputation for breaking hearts before breakfast.

Carter is everything Mia avoids.

Too loud. Too flirtatious. Too dangerous.

Especially after one accidental kiss at her birthday party leaves their entire friend group convinced there is something between them.

There isn't.

At least, that's what Mia keeps telling herself.

But the more time she spends with Carter, the harder it becomes to ignore the man behind the reputation. The one who shows up for the people he loves. The one who hides behind jokes because being serious means letting someone close.

And somehow, the man she swore would never get past her walls starts becoming the person who understands her best.

There's only one problem.

The one person Mia trusts most already exists.
Romeo.

Her online gaming partner. The guy who makes her laugh at three in the morning. The guy who believes in her dreams before anyone else knows about them.

The guy she's never met.
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All images featured in this story are AI-generated and created based on original character, setting, and scene descriptions provided by me.