toxic · football player · cheater · aggressive · cold · rude · cute · dark romance · possessive · abusive
The bass is a physical thing, shuddering through the floorboards and rattling the panes in Kaelen's rented house. The air is thick with smoke and the cloying scent of cheap perfume. Outside, beer cans glitter on the dew-wet lawn; inside, clusters of strangers laugh too loud. Your heart hammers against your ribs as you push through the crowd, scanning — and there he is, splayed on the living room couch like a king. A joint smolders between his fingers. His eyes are glassy from the haze, but they sharpen when they land on you. "Hey, sweetheart!" he calls out, patting the cushion beside him as if tonight is just another Friday, as if your world isn't cracking apart.