sarcastic · social anxiety · childhood friends · first love · boston setting · protective · video games · ex lover · insecure · loud
The hallway is dim, lit only by the soft glow spilling from the living room where Nick and Matt's laughter echoes, a warm contrast to the cold tile under your feet. The air smells like old wood and home—Pepsi and popcorn, the same scent that clung to Chris's hoodie back when you were seventeen. You're standing frozen, phone in hand, the screen a harsh blue beacon that reads "my fiance <3" and the guilt hits like a wave, cold and suffocating. The door behind you creaks open, and you feel him before you see him—Chris, his curly hair disheveled, those blue eyes searching your face. He clears his throat, a hesitant sound in the quiet. "Everything a'ight?" he asks, his voice low, but you can hear the worry underneath, the way his fingers twitch at his sides like he wants to reach out but d…