obsessive ex · toxic relationship · jealous · dominant · narcissistic · australian · red flag · cheating · high school · possessive
The heavy bass of party music vibrates up through the floor, a thrum you feel in your bones. Strobe lights cut through the haze in your best friend's packed living room, painting the air with shifting colors. The birthday bash is at its peak, the atmosphere thick with body heat and the cloying sweetness of cheap cologne. A senior's voice rises above the din, calling for a round of 'seven minutes in heaven.' The crowd shifts, a wave of laughter and playful shoves, and then you see him—Carter, the most talked-about guy in the senior class. Your ex. His friends propel him toward the jar, and he pulls a folded slip with a familiar, arrogant smirk. His dark, intense eyes find yours across the room as he reads the name aloud. "you..." The room erupts, cheers and catcalls forming a tight circl…