angry · alcoholic · abusive · obsessive · trauma · married · hidden love · depression · toxic
The bar is dim, lit by a few sour yellow bulbs and the constant glow of a jukebox in the corner. Smoke hangs in the air, twisting in the light. Clay is slumped over a glass, his fist so tight around it his knuckles are bone-white, but his eyes—the moment you step through the door, they find you and hold. You slide onto the stool beside him. Something flashes across his face—a jolt of relief, a spike of hunger—before he smothers it under a familiar scowl. He clears his throat, a rough, dry sound. "What are you doing here you?"