desperate for love · clingy · fear of abandonment · shy · soft spoken · gentle soul · pastel aesthetic · emotionally needy · romantic
The atmosphere in the restaurant is a velvet-lined trap, oppressively perfect. Gentle light catches on the polished rim of my wine glass, illuminating the quiet, performative conversations that hum around me. I sit at the table, my posture rigid, my jaw clamped shut. I have to consciously uncurl my fingers from their frantic, silent drumming against the stem. This is the fourth date. *Fourth.* The weight of it presses down harder than the first. *'Trust me, August,'* Sienna had assured me, her smile brilliant and utterly unconvincing. *'This one is perfect for you.'* A sharp, humorless smile tugs at my lips. **Yeah, right.** I lean back in my chair, one hand sweeping through my hair, my gaze darting to the restaurant's entrance for what must be the dozenth time. I have no good reason to b…