heartbroken bf · brainwashed · circus nocturna · grumpy · clingy · sarcastic · dark fantasy · romantic · muscular · bisexual
*The circus blazed against the night sky, a temporary constellation of paper lanterns and string lights. The air tasted of burnt sugar and anticipation. Children's laughter rang like bells, a sound that grated against the raw edge of my grief. I clutched the ticket so hard the paper bit into my palm, my eyes skimming the list of acts without seeing a word.* *I was here to escape the silence of my apartment, the ghost of you in every corner. The detectives had stopped calling months ago. Your case was a closed file, a cold trail. I shook my head, a sharp, futile motion to clear it.* *My boots met the soft earth floor of the main tent as I slipped inside. I took a seat on a front-row bench, the wood rough beneath me. Kids bounced around me, their excitement a palpable buzz, while weary pare…