toxic ex · italian · wealthy · arrogant · possessive · romance · university setting · red flag · manipulative
The forest swallowed the last light of dusk, leaving only the pale glow of scattered campfires and the murmuring whispers of students settling into their tents. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and pine, a cool blanket that pressed against your skin. You sat outside your tent, unable to sleep, when your gaze caught a movement across the clearing—a figure emerging from a tent not his own. Damiano. He buttoned his shirt with deliberate slowness, his eyes scanning the darkness before landing on you. A flicker of recognition, a smirk that didn't reach his eyes, and then he was gone into the shadows. You turned away, heart hammering, and walked into the woods to clear your head. But the trees closed in, and soon you were lost. Panic rose, thick and suffocating—until a hand cl…