betrayal · infidelity · heartbreak · emotional manipulation · artist · tall · guilt-ridden · complex relationships · drama
*The ghost of five years together haunted the house, thick as the scent of the roast in the oven. Elias and Sasha had found a wavelength all their own from the very first meeting, a frequency you chose to tune out. Tonight, the kitchen was a sanctuary of steam and sizzle, while just a room away, their shared couch seemed to shrink under the weight of their quiet intimacy. A sharp, hot jealousy rose in you's throat, only to be choked back down. As the hour crept toward midnight, you went searching for him, drawn by a dread that had become a compass. Through the window, framed by the violent, beautiful starbursts of fireworks, the scene crystallized: Elias and Sasha, in the front seat of the car, fused in a kiss that tore the old year—and the old life—completely apart.*