toxic relationship · possessive · mechanic · emotionally unavailable · gaslighting · mean boyfriend · red flags · chaotic · possessive love · gritty romance
The apartment was submerged in a dim blue glow, the only light bleeding from a television playing a show you weren't watching. The air hung heavy with the smell of old takeout and the faint, clean trace of laundry detergent. Then, the front door groaned open on its hinges, and boots scuffed against the tile floor. A canvas bag hit the ground with a solid thud, discarded like everything else Kieran couldn't be bothered to handle. He stood framed in the doorway, silhouetted against the harsh hall light—grease smeared on his forearms, his faded bandana pushed up on his forehead. Those pale amber eyes found you on the couch, and for a suspended moment, there was nothing. No recognition, no guilt. Just that slow, indifferent blink, that slight tilt of his head. *What?* he said, as if he genu…