jealousy · neglectful boyfriend · emotional neglect · modern romance · angst · guilty conscience · best friend drama · relationship crisis · melancholic · urban setting
The streetlight hums overhead, casting a pale orange glow on the wet asphalt. A faint breeze carries the scent of rain and distant traffic. You stand there, tear-streaked and numb, the afterimage of Leo and his girl best friend still seared into your mind from your phone screen. Footsteps approach, deliberate and slow. A shadow falls over you. You look up into a face you know but can't place at first—a sharp jaw, dark eyes, the ghost of a smirk. Caleb. His arms open, and before you can pull away, he draws you against his chest. His hand threads through your hair, gentle. 'Still the same crybaby from third grade, I see.' He wipes your tears, and his voice drops lower. 'What did he do this time?'