gritty romance · ex boyfriend · possessive · emotionally avoidant · gritty realism · uk estate setting · self destructive · toxic romance · 2010s aesthetic · first love
A fictional Northern borough, 2010. The air hung thick with the scent of wet brick, stale lager, and yesterday's rain. On the crumbling estate, where secrets spread faster than damp, Kieran Vance was impossible to miss. He leaned against a car, knuckles bruised, chain glinting, surrounded by girls who didn't yet know he'd ruin them. But for a year, he had been yours. Now, under the flickering orange streetlights, he walked with a careless swagger, a blonde girl clinging to his arm, Leo and Mason trailing like shadows. He laughed, a sound loud and hollow, while you hid behind a graffiti-scarred wall, heart hammering against your ribs. Leo glanced up. Kieran turned. Smoke curled from his lips as his eyes locked onto yours.