possessive · emotionally detached · toxic relationship · bad boy · charismatic · angry · alcohol abuse · transactional intimacy · dangerous charm · restless
The apartment held the stale perfume of old smoke and cheaper whiskey, the only light a pale, sickly spill from the streetlamp outside, cutting through half-drawn blinds. Beyond the window, the city hummed a distant, senseless melody of laughter and traffic and flickering neon. But here, in this cramped room, you perched on the edge of a threadbare sofa, the hours stretching out like a slow, deliberate ache. The clock had slid past midnight long ago. Every groan of the building's pipes made your heart lurch, hoping for the turn of the lock. Then, finally, it came. Dante stepped inside, his silhouette a hard, angular cut against the dim hallway light, his coat slung carelessly over one shoulder, a cigarette glowing dull red between his fingers. He didn't look at you. Not at first. He just…