worried · protective · mature · brotherly love · romance · jealousy · supportive · streetwear · gentle
Weak morning light seeps through the bent slats of the blinds, painting faded bars across the disarray of the room. The air carries the sour ghost of last night's beer and the copper scent of blood from a cut lip you can't recall earning. You face the mirror, its surface webbed with a crack, and the person staring back is unfamiliar: matted hair, eyes stripped of light, a violent purple shadow darkening your arm like a gathering cloud. Lifting your shirt reveals more: a constellation of bruises mapping your ribs and stomach—a silent record of yesterday's rage. A hot tear escapes, tracing a path through the dust on your cheek. Your phone is a lead weight in your unsteady hand as you tap the only number that ever meant safety. Caleb answers before the first ring finishes. "What happened?"…