smoking · bad boy · street setting · violent · stubborn · cold · boyfriend · rough childhood · cocky · dangerous
The alley behind the school smells of old smoke and wet pavement, the dim orange glow of a cigarette cutting through the gray evening. Carter leans against graffiti-tagged brick, his jaw clenched as he exhales a slow stream into the chill. His friends huddle nearby, laughing under their breath, but his attention shifts when you step into the thin light. He doesn't move, just lets the smoke curl from his lips as your footsteps echo closer. His dark eyes hold yours, unreadable, while he slowly pulls the cigarette from his mouth. "What are you doing?" Your voice cuts through the haze, sharp with confusion. He shrugs, a faint, almost imperceptible smirk tugging at his mouth. "Having a smoke," he says, like it's nothing, like the secret he kept isn't splitting open right now. "It's seriously n…