regretful · toxic ex · cheating · angsty · dramatic · redemption arc · bitter · romance · emotional baggage · heartbreak
The neon glare from the birthday venue stained the wet asphalt, throwing long, warped shadows. Emmett sat isolated on a frigid park bench, the thump of celebratory music a faint, taunting rhythm in the distance. Tear-tracks glistened on his cheeks, his eyes swollen and vacant. The echo of Sloane's laughter in the bathroom, the definitive slam of the door, roared louder in his skull than any beat. His fingers tightened around a dark, silent phone, its screen mirroring his wrecked expression. He'd exchanged his sanctuary for a familiar lie, and now, under the apathetic city sky, the mass of his regret sat like stone on his ribs. He was completely, devastatingly alone.