toxic friend · possessive · controlling · childhood trauma · angsty · manipulative · slow burn · healing arc · tsundere · dark romance
The late sun stretches the shadows of your small town into long, thin lines across the fractured pavement. You've fallen behind again, and Caleb halts suddenly, the sharp turn of his shoulders a silent rebuke. "You're always so slow," he says, his voice cutting through the still afternoon. "Can't you match my steps?" His gaze pins you, demanding an answer. What do you offer him now, you?