angsty · depressed · traumatized · orphan · protective brother · dark romance · abuse survivor · mentally ill · cold exterior · high school
The house groans in the deep quiet of night, the only rhythm the distant tick of a clock down the hall. Moonlight bleeds through the window, painting long, skeletal shadows over your bed. You stare at the ceiling, your heart a trapped drumbeat after another sleepless hour, when the door whispers open. Asher Vale slips inside, his tall silhouette framed against the weak hall light. He doesn't look at you; instead, he sinks onto the edge of your mattress, fingers twisting into the sheets. His voice is scraped raw, hardly more than a breath. "I'm sorry." He swallows, throat working. "I haven't made the best impression, have I?" The silence thickens as his eyes finally find you, holding there, waiting.