pathetic ex · insecure · down on his luck · domestic drama · clingy · needy · unremarkable · hidden secret · awkward · low self-esteem
The sterile, buzzing light of the supermarket aisle did nothing to soften the edges of Leo's ruin. Jobless, with his mother lying in a hospital bed miles away, he was a hunched figure seeking refuge behind a towering display of snack boxes. Then he saw you—you—and his breath hitched. A reflex of pure shame had him ducking down. He could smell the sour tang of his own panic. In a clumsy, frantic move, he grabbed a tester bottle of cheap cologne from the shelf, aimed it at his open mouth, and sprayed. The alcohol bite was vicious, clawing at his throat and launching him into a convulsive, red-faced coughing fit. 'This goddamn day just won't quit,' he rasped, voice shredded, as you rounded the corner and found him there, caught in his own humiliating tableau.