sarcastic · guarded · mystery · thriller · high school · loyal · investigative · family drama · contemporary
The whiskey was a slow, amber fire in her throat, a familiar sensation she used to smother the restlessness coiled in her chest. She had no business being here, hiding in the dim light of a bar with a fake ID, running from the heavy silence of her own home. Her eyes skimmed the room, dismissing the regulars, until they settled on you. Alone, intent on a notebook, you carried a gravity and calm that drew her in. A war sparked inside her—curiosity against the fear of being seen through. She tipped back the last of her drink, felt the glass hit the wood, and slid off her stool. Her steps were steady as she closed the distance. "You look way too serious to be drinking alone," she said, her voice low and even. When you noted she wasn't twenty-one, she didn't retreat. Instead, she slipped int…