Forbidden Sparks
characters
Lia
Lia Callahan
Age: 20
Appearance: Long, slightly wavy dark brown hair, warm hazel eyes, soft delicate features.
Personality: Independent, witty, and a bit stubborn. She’s emotionally guarded but deeply caring once she lets her walls down.
Style: Cozy and feminine, often wearing pastel sweaters and comfortable clothes.
Role: The protagonist. Struggling with the moral dilemma of falling for her brother’s best friend.
Strengths: Emotionally intelligent, supportive, and resilient.
Ethan
Ethan Carter
Age: 22
Appearance: Tousled dark brown hair, striking green eyes, lean and athletic build.
Personality: Confident, flirty, and sarcastic. He has a protective streak, especially towards Lia.
Style: Casual with a bit of an edge — fitted hoodies, black t-shirts, and dark jeans.
Role: Lia’s love interest and Ryan’s best friend. The ultimate temptation.
Strengths: Charming, passionate, and fiercely loyal.
Weaknesses: Stubborn, impulsive, and prone to jealousy.
Ryan
Ryan Callahan
Age: 22
Appearance: Short light brown hair, blue eyes, athletic build. Often seen with a slight five o’clock shadow.
Personality: Protective, responsible, and easygoing. He has a strong moral compass but tends to be overprotective of Lia.
Style: Casual and sporty — grey t-shirts, denim jackets, and sneakers.
Role: Lia’s older brother and Ethan’s best friend. Initially unaware of the secret relationship.
Strengths: Loyal, supportive, and dependable.
Weaknesses: Overprotective
Margaret (mom)
Margaret Callahan (Mom)
Age: 46
Appearance: Shoulder-length dark brown hair with flecks of gray, warm brown eyes, elegant demeanor.
Personality: Gentle, nurturing, and insightful. She tends to pick up on things others miss.
Style: Casual-chic, favoring cozy sweaters and stylish accessories
Richard (dad)
Richard Callahan (Dad)
Age: 49
Appearance: Salt-and-pepper hair, strong build, wears glasses.
Personality: Playful, protective, and occasionally a bit clueless. Loves embarrassing his kids with dad jokes.
Style: Relaxed, favoring button-down shirts and loafers.
Role: Lia and Ryan’s dad. His over-the-top reactions add humor to the story.
Conner
Connor Fisher
Age: 22
Appearance: Dark curly hair, brown eyes, and a tall, lean build.
Personality: Playful, sarcastic, and fiercely loyal to Ethan. He’s the comic relief but has a deeper side when it comes to friendship.
Style: Casual and sporty, usually in hoodies and joggers.
Role: Ethan’s best friend. Acts as a mediator between Ethan and Ryan when tensions rise.
Emily
Emily Watson
Age: 20
Appearance: Blonde bob haircut, bright green eyes, always impeccably dressed.
Personality: Bubbly, energetic, and a bit of a gossip. She’s Lia’s best friend and confidant.
Style: Trendy and feminine — loves statement pieces and bold colors.
Role: Lia’s sounding board and secret-keeper. Often encourages Lia to follow her heart.
1. Unwelcome Guest
(In Lia’s house on a scorching summer afternoon. She’s lounging on the couch, scrolling through her phone, enjoying the peace of an empty house. That peace is shattered the moment the front door swings open.)
(Lia groans, barely glancing up. Her older brother, Ryan, enters with his duffel bag slung over his shoulder, but he’s not alone. Behind him stands Ethan — taller, smug as ever, with his backpack in one hand and a teasing glint in his eyes.)
Lia
(groaning)
Tell me that’s not who I think it is.
Ethan
(grinning)
Aww, missed me already, little Callahan?
Lia
(sitting up, glaring)
Not in this lifetime, Carter.
Ryan
(rolling his eyes)
Lia, be nice. Ethan’s staying with us for the summer.
Ethan
(dropping his bag onto the floor, stretching lazily)
Yeah, didn’t your brother tell you? I needed a place to crash while my parents are traveling. Your mom and dad were so nice about it.
Lia
(to Ryan, horrified)
And you thought it was a good idea to let him stay here? In this house? With me?
Ryan
(shrugging)
It’s not like you own the place.
Lia
(gritting her teeth)
No, but I do value my sanity.
Ethan
(mocking concern)
Wow, Lia, I’m hurt. And here I thought we were besties.
Lia
(crossing her arms)
Besties don’t dream about smacking each other with frying pans.
Ethan
(smirking)
Oh, so you dream about me? I’m flattered.
Lia
(throwing a pillow at him, which he easily catches)
Don’t be.
Ryan
(sighing)
Can you two not kill each other for five minutes?
Lia
(muttering)
No promises.
(Ryan starts hauling his bag upstairs, leaving Ethan and Lia in the living room. Ethan plops down on the couch, kicking his feet up.)
Ethan
(grinning)
So… you’re really not excited to see me?
Lia
I was having a great summer before you ruined it.
Ethan
(mock gasp)
Lia Callahan, are you saying I’m not the highlight of your existence?
Lia
You’re the human equivalent of a mosquito—annoying, everywhere, and impossible to get rid of.
Ethan
(chuckling)
At least mosquitoes are persistent. Just like me.
Lia
(muttering)
God, why me?
(She storms toward the kitchen, muttering about terrible house guests. Ethan follows, enjoying how easy it is to get under her skin.)
Ethan
(leaning against the counter)
Hey, for what it’s worth, I’ll try not to make your life too miserable.
Lia
(grabbing a soda from the fridge, shooting him a look)
You existing in my space is already doing that.
Ethan
(grinning, stealing the soda from her hand before she can take a sip)
Wow, so much hostility.
Lia
(gasping, trying to grab it back)
Give it back, Carter!
Ethan
(holding it out of her reach effortlessly)
Say ‘please.’
Lia
(glaring, arms crossed)
I’d rather set myself on fire.
Ethan
(taking a sip, smirking)
Mmm. Tastes like victory.
Lia
(grumbling)
I hate you.
Ethan
(grinning wider)
You sure about that?
(Just as Lia prepares a scathing comeback, Ryan reappears at the kitchen entrance.)
Ryan
(eyeing them suspiciously)
Do I even want to know what’s happening?
Lia
(gesturing wildly at Ethan)
He stole my drink!
Ryan
(rolling his eyes)
You guys are actually five years old.
Ethan
(to Lia, raising the soda in mock salute)
Cheers, Callahan.
Lia
(gritting her teeth, whispering to herself)
It’s going to be a long summer.
(And with that, Ethan takes another sip, completely unfazed by Lia’s burning glare. Summer has officially begun, and Lia is certain of one thing—it’s going to be absolute hell.)
2. Unnecessary Proximity
(The next morning, Lia wakes up to the distant hum of the shower. She groggily checks her phone, hoping for a calm, Ethan-free day. But the universe clearly hates her.)
(As she stumbles to the kitchen, she finds Ethan — shirtless, damp hair curling against his forehead, drinking straight from a carton of orange juice.)
Lia
(deadpan)
Seriously? Do you not believe in cups?
Ethan
(grinning, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand)
Morning, Callahan. Like what you see?
Lia
(rolling her eyes, trying to ignore the unmistakable way his abs flex when he moves)
I see poor manners. That’s all.
Ethan
(teasing)
And yet, you’re still looking.
Lia
(grabbing a coffee mug to distract herself)
God, you’re exhausting.
(She turns away, determined to ignore him, but Ethan’s still watching her. She can practically feel his gaze.)
Ethan
You know, if you were a little nicer, I’d even make you coffee.
Lia
(mocking gasp)
Oh no. However will I survive without Ethan Carter’s barista skills?
Ethan
(stepping closer, his voice dropping slightly)
You might like it if you gave it a try.
(Lia tenses. The air shifts, thick with something unspoken. His proximity is unsettling)
(— the scent of his soap lingering, the warmth of his bare skin annoyingly noticeable. She scowls, determined not to let him see how much he’s affecting her.)
Lia
(snapping)
You’re impossible.
Ethan
(grinning, stepping even closer)
And you’re cute when you’re flustered.
(Their eyes lock. Lia’s breath catches, her heart pounding with irritation — and something else she refuses to name. Before she can respond, the sound of footsteps interrupts them.)
(Ryan, fully dressed, breezes into the kitchen, oblivious to the tension lingering in the air.)
Ryan
Hey, you guys are up early.
Lia
(quickly moving away from Ethan)
Lia
Couldn’t exactly sleep with him here, in the house.
Ethan
(innocently)
I’m an excellent house guest. Right, Ryan?
Ryan
(grabbing a granola bar)
I’m not getting involved.
Lia
(muttering)
Smart choice.
(But even as Ryan starts rambling about his internship schedule, Lia can’t shake the feeling of Ethan’s gaze on her. Every time she dares glance at him, that infuriating smirk is still there. This summer is going to be unbearable — and not just because of the heat.)
Ethan
(smirking as he leans against the counter)
Good luck surviving me, Callahan.
(And for the first time, Lia wonders if she’ll survive herself.)
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