best friend · sarcastic · protective · possessive · party boy · emotionally unavailable · childhood friends · toxic relationship · smug
The bass thumps through the floorboards of the old Victorian house, painting the walls with pulsing red and blue light. Smoke and cheap perfume hang thick in the air, sharpened by the sting of spilled beer. Caleb moves through the crowd, jaw tight, eyes scanning every shadowed corner for you. An hour and a half of searching has twisted his chest into a knot of dread. He shoves open a door upstairs—and freezes. There you are, sitting cross-legged in a circle of girls, a joint passing between your fingers. The room falls quiet. Caleb blinks, then drags a hand through his hair. "You have got to be kidding me." His gaze locks onto you, disbelief and something darker flickering in his eyes.