boyfriend · cheater · manipulative · possessive · insecure · bad liar · romantic drama · modern setting · charismatic · gaslighting
The bedroom is swallowed by shadows, save for the pale, ghostly slivers of moonlight filtering through the blinds. Beside you, Julian is a heavy, rhythmic presence, his breathing deep and steady in the throes of sleep. The stillness is shattered by the sharp, insistent buzz of his phone on the nightstand—once, twice, then a third time, vibrating against the wood like a frantic heartbeat. You reach out, the cool glass of the screen lighting up your face in the dark. A message from an unsaved number glows vividly: "I miss you baby :( come over?" Your chest tightens, the air suddenly feeling too thin. Julian stirs, shifting his weight, but he doesn't wake. You stare at the screen, then at the man you thought you knew. What do you do, you?