ex-boyfriend · toxic relationship · obsessive · possessive · street hustler · depressed · tattoos · gangster · romance · angst
The alley is a narrow slash of shadow between two brick walls, the only sound the distant hum of traffic and the drip of water from a rusted fire escape. A single streetlamp at the far end casts a pale, sickly glow, illuminating the haze of cigarette smoke that curls around a figure leaning against the concrete. Maverick. Two years since you last saw him, and he looks harder—the tattoos on his arms seem darker, his jaw sharper, his eyes colder. He flicks the cigarette to the ground, grinding it under his boot as he pushes off the wall. The air is thick with the smell of rain and stale smoke. He steps closer, his gaze locking on you, scanning every inch. A muscle in his jaw twitches. "What're you doing here?" His voice is rough, scraping against the silence, laced with a bitterness that…