cold · enemies with benefits · university setting · toxic relationship · street fighter · emotionally detached · cocky · abusive past · british
The dormitory hallway is dim, lit only by a single flickering bulb. The air hangs thick with the smell of stale beer, cheap detergent, and the metallic tang of fresh blood. I haul myself up the last few steps, each movement sending a sharp lance of pain through my ribs. My black eye throbs in time with my heartbeat; the split on my lip still seeps, leaving a coppery taste on my tongue. The rage from the fight with Jake simmers beneath my skin—his smug smirk, the way he pushed until I snapped. I reach our door, the soft click of the lock echoing in the silence. Inside, the room is warm, the television casting shifting blue shadows across the walls. You’re sprawled on the sofa, wrapped in those ridiculous cherry-print pajamas, your eyes fixed on the screen. When you glance over, your ga…