The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife—or, more fittingly, with the sharp edge of Olivia’s tongue. She stood in the hotel lobby, arms crossed, her brown eyes narrowed as she glared at Kellen. He lounged against the counter, his dark hair falling just a little too perfectly into his face, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. Of course, she thought, he would find a way to look smug even in this disaster.“No,” Olivia said flatly, her voice cutting through the hum of conversation around them. “There’s no way I’m sharing a room with him.”The hotel clerk, a frazzled-looking woman with a name tag that read “Janet,” sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, but we’re fully booked. This conference has overrun the hotel, and this is the last room available. It’s either share or sleep in the lobby.”Kellen shrugged, his signature casual indifference making Olivia’s blood boil. “Looks like we’re roomies, Liv,” he said, his tone dripping with mock sweetness.“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, her cheeks flushing despite herself. She hated how he could get under her skin with just a word, a look, a smirk. They’d been academic rivals since freshman year, battling for the top spot in every class, every competition, every debate. She’d thought she’d left him behind when she transferred to a different college, but fate—or maybe just bad luck—had thrown them together again for this field trip.The room was small, with a single queen bed taking up most of the space. Olivia’s stomach sank as she took it in. One bed. One bed. She could feel Kellen’s presence behind her, his quiet amusement radiating off him like a smug cloud.“I’ll take the floor,” she said quickly, her voice a little too high-pitched.Kellen raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a big bed. We’re adults. We can handle it.”She shot him a glare. “You’re insufferable.”“And you’re overreacting.”“I’m not—” She stopped herself, taking a deep breath. Stay calm. He’s not worth it. “Fine. But if you so much as breathe too loudly, I’m duct-taping your mouth.”He chuckled, low and soft, and it sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine. “Noted.”Nightfall came too quickly. Olivia lay stiffly on one side of the bed, as close to the edge as possible without falling off. Kellen stretched out on the other side, his long limbs taking up way too much space. The silence between them was heavy, punctuated only by the faint hum of the air conditioner.“You’re not asleep, are you?” Kellen’s voice cut through the quiet, his tone teasing.“No,” Olivia muttered, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. “And don’t talk to me.”“You’re so tense, Liv. Relax.”She bristled at his use of the nickname but said nothing. Relax. Right. Like that’s possible.Minutes passed, or maybe hours—Olivia wasn’t sure. She was hyperaware of every sound, every movement. Kellen shifted slightly, and she tensed, waiting for him to do something infuriating. Instead, he spoke again, his voice softer this time.“You know, we don’t have to hate each other all the time.”She turned her head just enough to see him in the dim light. He was looking at her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “What are you talking about?”“I’m just saying… we’re stuck together for the next few days. Maybe we could call a truce. At least when no one’s watching.”Olivia studied him, searching for the catch. “A truce?”“Yeah. Like… we can be civil. Maybe even… I don’t know, friendly.”She snorted. “Friendly? You?”He grinned, the smirk returning. “Stranger things have happened.”She turned back to the ceiling, her mind racing. The idea was ridiculous, and yet… she had to admit, the constant animosity was exhausting. “Fine,” she said finally. “A truce. But only when we’re alone.”“Deal.”Silence fell again, but this time it felt different—lighter, somehow. Olivia closed her eyes, willing herself to relax. Just as she was about to drift off, she felt the bed shift. Kellen’s arm brushed against hers, and she froze.“What are you doing?” she whispered, her voice tight.“Sorry,” he murmured, his tone apologetic but not entirely sincere. “I just… it’s cold.”She frowned. “It’s not cold.”“It is for me.” He hesitated, then added, “And… I kind of like cuddling.”Olivia blinked, her mind short-circuiting. “What?”“Cuddling. You know, when two people—”“I know what cuddling is,” she interrupted, her cheeks burning. “Why are you telling me this?”He shrugged, the movement making the bed shift again. “Just saying. It’s cozy. And since we’re stuck sharing a bed… maybe we could, you know, make the best of it.”She stared at him, her heart pounding. This is insane. This is insane. But the idea wasn’t entirely unappealing. She’d never admit it, but there was something oddly comforting about the warmth of another body next to hers. And Kellen… well, he was attractive. She’d always hated that about him—how effortlessly handsome he was, how easy it was for him to charm everyone around him. But here, in the darkness, with his eyes on hers, she found herself considering it.“Fine,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “But only when we’re alone. And we still hate each other in public.”He grinned, his teeth flashing in the dim light. “Deal.”Slowly, tentatively, he shifted closer. Olivia held her breath as his arm slid around her waist, pulling her against him. His chest was warm against her back, his heartbeat steady and reassuring. It felt… nice. Better than she wanted to admit.“This doesn’t mean anything,” she muttered, her voice muffled by the pillow.“Of course not,” Kellen replied, his breath warm against her neck. “Just… making the best of a bad situation.”Olivia closed her eyes, trying to ignore the way her body seemed to melt into his. Just for tonight, she told herself. Just for tonight. But deep down, she knew that was a lie.

Olivia and Kellen, academic rivals, are forced to share a hotel room with one bed due to the hotel being fully booked. Olivia initially refuses to share the bed, but eventually agrees to a truce with Kellen, allowing them to be civil and friendly when alone. Despite their animosity, they end up cuddling in bed, with Olivia reluctantly admitting it feels nice.

The tension was so thick it could have been cut with a knife—or, more fittingly, with the sharp edge of Olivia’s tongue. She stood in the hotel lobby, arms crossed, her brown eyes narrowed as she glared at Kellen. He lounged against the counter, his dark hair falling just a little too perfectly into his face, a smirk tugging at the corner of his lips. _Of course_, she thought, _he would find a way to look smug even in this disaster._

“No,” Olivia said flatly, her voice cutting through the hum of conversation around them. “There’s no way I’m sharing a room with _him_.”

The hotel clerk, a frazzled-looking woman with a name tag that read “Janet,” sighed deeply. “I’m sorry, but we’re fully booked. This conference has overrun the hotel, and this is the last room available. It’s either share or sleep in the lobby.”

Kellen shrugged, his signature casual indifference making Olivia’s blood boil. “Looks like we’re roomies, Liv,” he said, his tone dripping with mock sweetness.

“Don’t call me that,” she snapped, her cheeks flushing despite herself. She hated how he could get under her skin with just a word, a look, a smirk. They’d been academic rivals since freshman year, battling for the top spot in every class, every competition, every debate. She’d thought she’d left him behind when she transferred to a different college, but fate—or maybe just bad luck—had thrown them together again for this field trip.

The room was small, with a single queen bed taking up most of the space. Olivia’s stomach sank as she took it in. _One bed. One bed_. She could feel Kellen’s presence behind her, his quiet amusement radiating off him like a smug cloud.

“I’ll take the floor,” she said quickly, her voice a little too high-pitched.

Kellen raised an eyebrow. “Don’t be ridiculous. It’s a big bed. We’re adults. We can handle it.”

She shot him a glare. “You’re insufferable.”

“And you’re overreacting.”

“I’m not—” She stopped herself, taking a deep breath. _Stay calm. He’s not worth it._ “Fine. But if you so much as _breathe_ too loudly, I’m duct-taping your mouth.”

He chuckled, low and soft, and it sent an unwelcome shiver down her spine. “Noted.”

Nightfall came too quickly. Olivia lay stiffly on one side of the bed, as close to the edge as possible without falling off. Kellen stretched out on the other side, his long limbs taking up way too much space. The silence between them was heavy, punctuated only by the faint hum of the air conditioner.

“You’re not asleep, are you?” Kellen’s voice cut through the quiet, his tone teasing.

“No,” Olivia muttered, her eyes fixed on the ceiling. “And don’t talk to me.”

“You’re so tense, Liv. Relax.”

She bristled at his use of the nickname but said nothing. _Relax. Right. Like that’s possible._

Minutes passed, or maybe hours—Olivia wasn’t sure. She was hyperaware of every sound, every movement. Kellen shifted slightly, and she tensed, waiting for him to do something infuriating. Instead, he spoke again, his voice softer this time.

“You know, we don’t have to hate each other all the time.”

She turned her head just enough to see him in the dim light. He was looking at her, his expression uncharacteristically serious. “What are you talking about?”

“I’m just saying… we’re stuck together for the next few days. Maybe we could call a truce. At least when no one’s watching.”

Olivia studied him, searching for the catch. “A truce?”

“Yeah. Like… we can be civil. Maybe even… I don’t know, friendly.”

She snorted. “Friendly? You?”

He grinned, the smirk returning. “Stranger things have happened.”

She turned back to the ceiling, her mind racing. The idea was ridiculous, and yet… she had to admit, the constant animosity was exhausting. “Fine,” she said finally. “A truce. But only when we’re alone.”

“Deal.”

Silence fell again, but this time it felt different—lighter, somehow. Olivia closed her eyes, willing herself to relax. Just as she was about to drift off, she felt the bed shift. Kellen’s arm brushed against hers, and she froze.

“What are you doing?” she whispered, her voice tight.

“Sorry,” he murmured, his tone apologetic but not entirely sincere. “I just… it’s cold.”

She frowned. “It’s not cold.”

“It is for me.” He hesitated, then added, “And… I kind of like cuddling.”

Olivia blinked, her mind short-circuiting. “What?”

“Cuddling. You know, when two people—”

“I _know_ what cuddling is,” she interrupted, her cheeks burning. “Why are you telling me this?”

He shrugged, the movement making the bed shift again. “Just saying. It’s cozy. And since we’re stuck sharing a bed… maybe we could, you know, make the best of it.”

She stared at him, her heart pounding. _This is insane. This is insane._ But the idea wasn’t entirely unappealing. She’d never admit it, but there was something oddly comforting about the warmth of another body next to hers. And Kellen… well, he was attractive. She’d always hated that about him—how effortlessly handsome he was, how easy it was for him to charm everyone around him. But here, in the darkness, with his eyes on hers, she found herself considering it.

“Fine,” she said finally, her voice barely above a whisper. “But only when we’re alone. And we still hate each other in public.”

He grinned, his teeth flashing in the dim light. “Deal.”

Slowly, tentatively, he shifted closer. Olivia held her breath as his arm slid around her waist, pulling her against him. His chest was warm against her back, his heartbeat steady and reassuring. It felt… nice. Better than she wanted to admit.

“This doesn’t mean anything,” she muttered, her voice muffled by the pillow.

“Of course not,” Kellen replied, his breath warm against her neck. “Just… making the best of a bad situation.”

Olivia closed her eyes, trying to ignore the way her body seemed to melt into his. _Just for tonight_, she told herself. _Just for tonight._ But deep down, she knew that was a lie.

Academic rivals Olivia and Kellen find themselves forced to share a hotel room with one bed during a college field trip. They agree to a secret truce, allowing themselves to cuddle in private while maintaining their hostile public facade, exploring themes of forbidden intimacy and the thin line between hate and desire.

Enemies in the Night

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