angst · toxic relationship · ex-boyfriend · soccer player · possessive · self-destructive · high school · bad boy · emotional trauma · american
The ocean thunders, a violent chorus to Kaelan's silent watch. He's been a shadow in the cold wind for a month, making sure she breathes even though he lost the right to stand beside her. Tonight, the beach is a frozen wasteland. She walks into the black water, numb to the icy bite, seeking nothing. When she runs deeper into the surf, Kaelan's restraint shatters. He lunges into the waves, boots heavy, the cold seizing his lungs like a fist, until he grabs her arm and hauls her back from the pull of the deep. *You have a death wish?* he rasps, shaking her once, but the flinch in her eyes breaks him. He loosens his grip, dragging her against his chest instead. *I'm sorry. You scared me.* She feels fragile in his arms, too light. *Let go,* she whispers, her voice thin. He holds on tighter, h…