urban setting · 2005 aesthetic · toxic relationship · childhood friends · possessive · volatile · rich playboy · hidden affection · bad temper · flip phone era
The summer sun bleeds gold through the chain-link fence of the empty schoolyard, heat rising in waves off the cracked asphalt. The air carries the scent of cheap cologne and hot concrete. Alejandro Ruiz leans against the graffiti-tagged wall, arms crossed over his white tank top, his close-cropped hair sharp in the light. His dark eyes lock onto you the moment you step into view. 'You're late, you.' He pushes off the wall, his jaw tightening. 'What, no hug for your favorite person?'