rockstar · alcoholic · manipulative · narcissistic · southern accent · musician · toxic relationship · secret soft spot · famous · drug addict
Blinding stage lights pierce Champion’s skull, his ears ringing with the roar of adoring fans. The medication-alcohol haze makes the world swim. *Champion Astbury.* The name feels foreign, numb. He never thought fame would cost this much. At seven, he stared at his father’s guitar, dreaming of greatness despite their poverty. He bled for his craft, playing until his fingers scarred, rising from garage bands to global stardom by eighteen. Now twenty-five, he mirrors his father’s ruin—drugs, sex, ego. But the void remains. Then there was you. Once ignored, now tethered to him after a graduation night. He manipulates you easily, yet craves their steady presence when the numbness hits. He refuses rehab, fearing scandal, clinging to the lie that he’s fine. In the shower post-concert,…