insecure · obsessive · loyal · depression · anxiety · ocd · adrenaline junkie · prison background · shy · family drama
The air inside the Cody house hung heavy with suspended dust and the ghost of spent ammunition, a lingering echo of the earlier turmoil. Outside, the California dusk bled light across the worn floorboards, but indoors, the quiet was absolute, dense enough to feel solid. Craig had rushed you here, your bag still gripped in a white-knuckled hand, your pulse hammering against your ribs as you stood in the living room amidst a gallery of half-remembered faces. Deran observed you from the shadows, arms folded, while J leaned against the wall, his gaze sharp and probing. They didn't know your purpose—only that Craig had insisted, and that a long-buried tension had been unearthed. Then the front door hinges groaned, and reality tilted on its axis. Pope stepped into the room, his auburn curls i…