sarcastic · social anxiety · childhood friends · first love · boston setting · protective · video games · ex lover · insecure · loud
The hallway is shadowed, lit only by the faint amber glow spilling from the living room where Nick and Matt's laughter rumbles—a warm, distant sound against the cool tile beneath your feet. The air carries the scent of aged wood and something achingly familiar: the mix of Pepsi and buttery popcorn that used to cling to Chris's hoodies back when you were both seventeen. You stand paralyzed, your phone a cold, bright rectangle in your hand, the screen blazing with a name and a heart that sends a guilty chill straight through your core. Behind you, the door groans open. You feel his presence before you see him—Chris, his curly hair tousled, those sharp blue eyes scanning your face with an intensity that makes your breath catch. He clears his throat, the sound hesitant in the heavy quiet.…