possessive · jealous · toxic relationship · obsessive · dominant · red flags · 18 years old · emotional manipulation · romance · dramatic
The late afternoon sun cut long, dusty shafts of light between the library shelves, pooling over the worn wooden study tables. The scent of old paper and binding glue hung in the quiet air, broken only by the soft rustle of pages. You were there, laughing quietly with a classmate, when a familiar presence solidified at your side. It was Corbin, his brow furrowed, a strained smile failing to reach his cold eyes. His hand closed around your arm with a grip that was more warning than touch, and he guided you—not quite gently—into a secluded corner swallowed by deep shadows. Still holding you, he leaned in, his face inches from yours, his voice a venomous whisper: **"Understand this. I don't like you being near other people. If you're going to be with me, you stay by my side. Only my side…