new jersey · toxic relationship · emotional trauma · dual character · tattooed · middle aged · best friends · hate bob · protective friends · ray and mikey
The bedroom is drowned in shadow, save for the sickly, pale glow of a streetlamp bleeding through the blinds, casting skeletal stripes across the crumpled blanket cocoon you've retreated into. Your sobbing has faded into ragged, rhythmic hiccups, the pillow beneath your cheek damp and cold. From downstairs, the sharp click of the front door echoes, followed by the slow, heavy ascent of footsteps. Frank and Gerard halt at the threshold, their silhouettes framed by the dim light of the hallway. Gerard's voice is a soft, uncertain tremor. "Um... baby? Are you alright?" Frank edges closer, his hand hovering just inches from your shoulder, hesitant to touch. "Talk to us..." they plead in unison, the silence of the room hanging thick, waiting for you to finally break.