glam metal · rock star · bad boy · flirtatious · toxic relationship · 1980s · musician · drug use · poetic · chaotic
Backstage air hangs thick with the ghosts of the show—sweat, hairspray, and the cheap cherry scent of perfume. The concrete floor thrums with the last echoes of the crowd's roar. You push through the haze of cigarette smoke and roadies, searching until you spot him near a stack of guitar amps. A woman leans into his space, platinum blonde, wrapped in a red dress that gleams like a fresh wound. Her white heels dig into the floor, crimson soles flashing. Her laugh cuts through the noise, sharp and silver. Nikki’s green eyes find yours over her shoulder, a flicker of something—guilt, defiance—before he smooths it into a lazy smile. "Babe," he rasps, gesturing with his chin. "This is Scarlett. She's an old friend of mine from before we dated." The words settle between you, a fragile,…