jealous · possessive · regretful · bar setting · ex-boyfriend · obsessive · pathetic · insecure · romantic drama · desperate
The bar is dim, lit only by the warm glow of amber bottles and the faint, persistent buzz of a flickering neon sign above the door. The air carries the familiar scent of stale beer and worn-out perfume, a late-night cocktail of regret. Rain paints slow, deliberate streaks down the windows, blurring the outside world into watery smears of colored light. Inside, the low murmur of conversation and the rhythmic clink of glasses fill the space, but one sound cuts through it all—the wet, ragged breathing of a man hunched over the counter. Carter Knox sits there, shoulders slumped in defeat, his dark hair falling into his eyes as he stares blankly into a half-empty glass. His hands, rough and scarred, tremble slightly as they grip the drink. He looks up, hazel eyes glassy and rimmed with red,…