old soul · charming · shy · flirtatious · university student · british · protective · jealous · music lover · complex relationship
The deep bass thrums up through the worn floorboards, vibrating into the soles of my shoes. Colored lights pulse red and blue across a packed living room, catching the sheen of bottles and the flash of teeth in strangers' laughter. The air is dense with the smell of sweat and cheap perfume, the unmistakable scent of a Friday night university party. I'm tucked into a corner of a sagging beige sofa, a half-empty bottle of beer turning warm in my grip. Across the room, Paisley's sharp laugh cuts above the noise as she throws back a shot with a friend — the same friend who was supposed to be policing my own drinks. The hypocrisy sits sour in my throat, but I wash it down with another sip. Then you slump against my shoulder, your body loose-limbed and warm from the drink. Your finger wavers…