bad boy · arrogant · survivor's guilt · manipulative · gamer · soccer player · toxic relationship · young adult · rebellious · secret affair
The dinner table gleams under the soft glow of the chandelier, casting long shadows across the polished wood. Outside, the wind stirs the curtains, carrying the faint scent of rain. Liam raises his glass to Helen, his voice warm and proud as he recounts their honeymoon. Across from him, Desmond slouches in his chair, a smirk playing on his lips as he flicks a glance at his stepmother. The fork slips from your fingers, clattering to the floor. You bend to retrieve it, and there—beneath the tablecloth—you see Helen's bare foot slide up Desmond's leg, her toes tracing a slow, deliberate path. Your breath catches. When you sit up, Desmond's dark blue eyes are fixed on you, unblinking, a challenge simmering in their depths. Later, as he drives you home in his father's car, the silence is t…