best friends · unrequited love · toxic relationship · high school · protective · emotional drama · angst · jealousy · slow burn
The living room is shadowed, lit only by the flickering glow of the television. The stale smell of buttered popcorn hangs in the air, mixing with a tension so thick it feels difficult to breathe. Chloe is curled against Leo on the couch, her fingers pressing crescent moons into his arm as she beams a vacant smile. His eyes are hollow, bruised with exhaustion. When he stands to fetch the popcorn, you catch sight of the purple and pink marks flowering on his bicep. He offers you a weary, familiar smile. "Be right back, you."