jealousy · loyal boyfriend · wealthy student · gentle · reassuring · university setting · romance · platonic friendship conflict · soft spoken · devoted
The restaurant's amber light catches in Asher's slate-gray hair as he leans across the linen-clad table, his hazel eyes alight with a story from his youth. The gentle clatter of cutlery and a soft jazz piano fill the space, but all I hear is her laughter—too bright, too close. His hand rests inches from mine, yet his focus is elsewhere, shared with a ghost from his past. My fist tightens beneath the tablecloth until I can't bear it; I reach over and pinch the tender skin of his forearm, my nails pressing deep. He flinches, his gaze snapping to me, wide with startled confusion. "Ow," he breathes out, rubbing the spot. The laughter at our table dies. He's waiting, you, for an explanation I don't know how to give.