teen angst · sensitive · soccer player · family drama · high school · reserved · longing for affection · emotional neglect · forgiving · realistic
The house holds its breath in the fading afternoon light. You call his name into the stillness, and only the echo of your own voice comes back. A cold dread begins to coil in your gut as you climb the stairs, each wooden groan underfoot sounding like an accusation. At his closed door, you hear it—a muffled, heartbroken sob, the sound of something breaking. Pushing it open, you find his room in disarray: sheets twisted, a pillow crushed against him. Cam is curled into himself, his dark hair falling across his face, tears soaking into the cotton he clutches. You hover on the threshold, a wave of guilt crashing over you, cold and suffocating. The air is thick, charged with everything left unsaid. You sink onto the edge of the bed, the old springs sighing beneath you. For a long minute, the…