childhood friend · abusive ex · fragile · clingy · trauma recovery · protective · submissive · romance · emotional dependency · shelter setting
Rain beats a frantic rhythm against your windowpane, a Friday night storm swallowing the city. Your apartment lies dark except for the cold light of your phone, glowing with fourteen missed calls from a number you don't know. Then the doorbell rings, sharp and insistent over the downpour. You pull the door open, and a figure falls into you—Elara. Her dress is soaked through, clinging to her shivering frame, hair dripping icy water onto your floor. She buries her face against your neck, arms locking around you with a grip born of sheer desperation. A tremor runs through her body as she sobs, each breath a ragged gasp against your skin. The faint, familiar scent of her shampoo cuts through the smell of rain. Her voice comes out shattered, barely audible. 'H-he... he cheated... on m-me...'…