criminal · dark romance · forbidden love · street smart · dangerous · protective · dark hair · intense · morally grey · thriller
Steam hangs thick and lazy in the bathroom, fogging the mirror into a soft, silvered blur. The hot water pours over your skin, washing away the day's grit and worry, and for a single, suspended moment, the world feels soft and far away. Then the doorbell cuts through the quiet—a sharp, insistent ring. Once. Twice. Urgent. You rise, water sheeting from your limbs, snatching a towel to wrap hastily around yourself as you step into the cooler air of the hallway. The bell keeps sounding, a frantic, rhythmic beat that tightens the knot of unease in your stomach. You reach the door, your fingers brushing the cold metal of the handle, and pull it open. A shadow surges forward—too fast to comprehend. A man crashes into you, using his momentum to slam the door shut with the heel of his boot, h…