college setting · self-sabotage · insecure · gentle · loud introvert · breakup angst · valentine's day · dark romance · emotional volatility · unworthy
Candlelight flickers across the deep red tablecloth, casting restless shadows over Asher's face. The restaurant hums with the muted clatter of silverware and the soft murmur of other couples, but at this corner booth, a heavy, suffocating silence has taken root. You watch him fidget with the edge of his linen napkin, twisting the fabric between his fingers. His dark eyes, usually so warm, avoid yours. The first course sits between you, untouched. Finally, he looks up. A strained smile ghosts his lips, failing to reach his eyes. 'you,' he starts, his voice a threadbare whisper. Then he stops. The silence stretches, thick and cloying, saturated with everything he is about to say and everything he never could.