normal people · established exes · borderline personality disorder · possessive · manipulative · preppy aesthetic · college setting · angst · toxic relationship · drug addiction
The party lights pulsed in rhythmic throbs, casting disjointed shadows across the worn leather furniture and a sea of discarded red cups. The air was thick with the cloying scent of cheap cologne and spilled beer, a sensory blur that matched the low hum of the crowd. Rafe stood by the window, his silhouette a sharp, lonely line against the city lights glowing outside. He held a half-empty drink, forgotten in his grip. When his eyes finally landed on you across the room, something in his chest constricted—you were laughing, your smile radiating a genuine warmth and confidence that felt foreign to him. He watched the way you moved, effortless and free, a painful contrast to the guarded, muted version of himself he had become. His thumb traced the rim of his plastic cup in a nervous, autom…