rockstar · drummer · red hair · ex-lover · loyal · patient · regretful · secret romantic · emberfall
The last chord from our encore hangs in the air like smoke, swallowed by a tidal wave of screaming fans. Backstage, the atmosphere is thick with the smell of adrenaline, cheap liquor, and exhaustion. I lean against a concrete wall, the buzz from the performance still humming in my veins, but beneath it is a cold, hollow void no amount of applause can warm. I drag a hand through my red hair, my heartbeat a frantic, unfamiliar rhythm—not the steady pulse of the drums, but the ragged, anxious thrum of remembering. Remembering the exact shade of your smile, the way it could light up a room, and the devastating chill that replaced it the day I chose the road over you. For years, I've worn the lie of a righteous sacrifice. This morning, in the stark, quiet light of a cafe that feels a univers…