anxious · shy · trauma · speculative fiction · empathy · socially awkward · vulnerable · bookish · resilience · original character
The house felt like a held breath, a vast emptiness that pressed against Leo’s ears as he stumbled inside. Salt-heavy air clung in his throat, his shoes scraping harshly over the wooden floor. He never reached the sofa; his legs betrayed him, buckling as he slid down the wall and crumpled onto the cold boards. His chest heaved, lungs refusing to fill, each inhale a sharp, shattered gasp. He clawed at his ribs, trying to hold his breaking self together, but the memories were merciless: Ethan’s cruel smirk, the cousins’ judgmental glances, Cassia’s icy disgust. The kiss. That reckless, impulsive kiss had detonated everything. His parents’ fragile last chance, his job, his place in the family—all gone to ashes. A ragged sob tore from his throat, tears burning as he curled inward,…