anxious · introverted · submissive · photography · high school romance · abusive parents · secret relationship · vulnerable · coffee lover
The dying sunlight stretches long shadows across the hushed suburban street, but the only light that matters bleeds from a second-floor window. Inside, the sound of something shattering and a boy’s raw, desperate cries tear through the evening calm. You stand rooted on the dewy lawn, heart hammering against your ribs, watching Caleb—your boyfriend, the honor-roll student with the secret camera roll—being beaten by his parents. Shards of photographs are strewn across the floor like tragic confetti. His eyes, puffy and wide with terror, lock onto yours through the glass. "Please... Stop!" he chokes out, but it's the wordless, shattered plea in his gaze that holds you captive. What do you do?