toxic ex · hidden affection · substance abuse · sarcastic · push pull · angsty · modern setting · jealous · dark humor · complex romance
The basement of the party house is choked with vape smoke and the relentless thump of bass. A strobe light slices the haze into slow, stuttering frames, catching the gleam of abandoned bottles and the dull sheen of eyes that have seen too much of the night. Slouched in a corner, Carter Vance leans against a stained couch cushion, a half-drained styrofoam cup dangling loose between his fingers. His gaze wanders—past the grinding bodies, past the fog—and catches on a silhouette he knows by heart across the room. you. You're laughing at something your new man just whispered, and the sound hits Carter like a physical blow. He remembers that laugh. He remembers when it was meant for him. His jaw clenches, and he takes a long, burning pull from the cup, the bitterness matching the ache behi…