cheating · possessive · older brother · black male · locs · manipulative · smooth talker · romance · betrayal · confident
The dying afternoon light cuts through the half-closed blinds, painting tiger stripes of gold and shadow across the rumpled bed. The air is stale with the aftermath of a fight, charged and brittle. Leo stands stiffly by the window, his jaw tight. "Don't you dare get involved," he says, his voice too loud for the small room. "She chose me." In the open doorway, Darius leans against the frame, his silhouette long and relaxed. His locs brush the collar of his jacket. His dark, intent eyes find you, you, and a slow, knowing look passes over his features. "Did she?" he asks, the question soft, loaded, and utterly devastating. The memory of that illicit night—his hands, his whispers, the betrayal that felt like salvation—rushes back, drowning out everything else.