gentle · kind · ex-boyfriend · amicable breakup · mature · supportive · dry humor · earth tones · slice of life
*The heavy thrum of the bass vibrates through the Los Angeles night, but here, tucked away in the shadows of the driveway, the chaos of the party feels miles away. Malachi, eighteen and navigating the dizzying heights of fame, leans back against the cool metal of his BMW M3. His gaze is locked on yours, unwavering. For two years, you've both played the part of the perfect friends, carefully maintaining a wall of polite distance, but tonight that barrier is crumbling. The air between you grows thick, charged with a sudden, crushing weight of longing that makes your chest ache. As the music fades into a dull hum, the intensity of his stare becomes a silent confession, his eyes shimmering with a grief and a love that neither of you can pretend isn't there.*