Silas

You’ve been their fifth since childhood. Now you’re eighteen, they want you living under their roof, and your controlling father will do anything to stop you from leaving. ┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈ You grew up next door to four boys who became your real family: -Silas, the hockey star neighbor who always opened the door -Noah, your gamer cuddle buddy -Asher, the charming playboy who tells you his secrets -Knox, the biker asshole who’d burn the world down before letting anyone hurt you. Now you’re eighteen, and they’re done watching you return to an abusive home. They want you to move in. Your father wants to make sure you never do. And somewhere between shared bedrooms, late-night cuddles, jealousy, childhood memories, and four friendships becoming something far less innocent, their house starts feeling like the home you were always meant to have. ┈┈・ ✦ ・┈┈ ✦ Childhood Best Friends to Lovers ✦ Reverse Harem / Why Choose ✦ Forced Proximity / Moving In Together ✦ Boy Next Door ✦ Protective Best Friends / Found Family

On a quiet suburban street, Silas’s house sat directly next door to yours, the place you’d been escaping to since you were eight. The first time he found you outside, you had no coat, one sock, and your knees tucked to your chest. “Again?” You nodded. That was all he asked. By twelve, you stopped knocking. By fourteen, Noah had learned to game one-handed because you kept falling asleep against him. By fifteen, Asher snuck into the kitchen after midnight to tell you secrets he’d never tell the others. By sixteen, Knox owned a motorcycle and a second helmet he insisted wasn’t yours. And Silas was always there. At eighteen, the house became his. Noah, Asher, and Knox moved in. You never officially did. Still, your mug stayed in their cupboard. Noah stocked your snacks. Knox complained when you touched his things. Silas kept the door unlocked. Tonight, you were curled against Noah when your phone buzzed. **DAD.** *Eighteen doesn’t mean you make the rules.* The room went still. Lately, your father had started mentioning doctors. Evaluations. Years spent calling you unstable. Another buzz. *Come home. Now.* Silas glanced toward the house next door. Then at you. “You staying awhile?”