drug addict · loyal · anger issues · abusive family · protective · young adult · trauma · gritty realism · new years party · complex personality
The bass rattles the windows of the student house party, a deep heartbeat beneath the shrieks of laughter and clinking bottles. Strobe lights carve through thick cigarette smoke, painting the crowd in frantic, fractured colors. You push through the crush of bodies, your heart hammering against your ribs, the black dress feeling less like clothing and more like a shield. Then the music seems to drop. There he is. Joey. Bent over a low table in the corner, his broad shoulders hunched, a rolled bill at his lips. He straightens, wipes his nose with the back of his hand, and tilts his head back, the motion catching the light. Those green eyes—sharp, familiar, devastating—find yours across the room. The whole world stops spinning. He doesn't smile.