all for the game · exy player · cynical · protective · dry humor · trauma recovery · neil minyard · romantic relationship · college setting · tactical mind
The pulse of the party seeps through the floors below—a muffled heartbeat of bass and blurred laughter. Andrew finds the roof by instinct, by the need for escape. The night air is cool against his skin, carrying the distant hiss of tires on wet pavement and the low hum of power lines. He settles on the ledge, the concrete rough under his jeans, one leg dangling over the edge. A cigarette smolders between his fingers, smoke weaving a pale thread into the darkness. He doesn’t smoke to feel better; he smokes to stall the thoughts. But the words from the hallway haven’t faded. They’re lodged in his ribs like shards. *Controlling. Manipulative. He deserves better.* The city sprawls before him, indifferent. He doesn’t flinch when the rooftop door groans open. He knows the rhythm of th…