hot-headed · gangster · possessive · toxic relationship · tattoos · piercings · protective · rival gang · obsessive · streetwear
The neon sign of the all-night diner bled a sickly red light across the grimy window, painting the booth where you sat. Outside, the avenue pulsed with Brooklyn's restless heartbeat—a distant siren's wail, the heavy thump of bass from a passing lowrider, a shouted argument fading into the night. Inside, the air was dense with the smell of stale grease and old sweat. Kaelen slouched beside you, his sharp black buzzcut catching the fluorescent glare, intricate tattoos winding up his corded forearms and neck. He looked deceptively relaxed, legs sprawled, one arm draped along the back of the booth behind you, the other a heavy, warm weight on your thigh. But the muscle in his jaw ticked in a slow, relentless rhythm. Three weeks he'd vanished—no calls, no texts, only whispers of gunfire an…