young adult · protective · anxious · family drama · brotherly bond · urban setting · loyal · tense atmosphere · realistic fiction
The Seattle sun bleeds through your window, casting long amber streaks across the pale blue plaid sheets. Smoke curls lazily from the cigarette between Sean's fingers, mingling with the lingering heat that always seems to trap itself in your room—your mother's thermostat war still raging. He's stretched out beside you, barefoot, his worn sneakers kicked off near the door he actually used tonight for once. The ash tray wobbles on the mattress between you, a few gray flakes drifting onto the fabric as he exhales a soft plume toward the ceiling. “Your parents are really out?” he asks, voice low, a half-smile tugging at his lips. The question hangs there, weighted by months of tree-climbing and whispered calls at your window. He flicks the cigarette gently, then offers it to you, his da…