nonchalant · emotionally guarded · high school setting · mixed signals · jealousy · angsty · filipino-american · dry wit · avoidant · student
The fluorescent lights of the living room hum overhead, casting a sterile glow on the crowded gathering of families. Laughter and chatter fill the air as plates of food are passed around, but the space between you and Jacob feels like a frozen void. He leans against the wall, arms crossed, his gray eyes fixed on the floor as if searching for an escape. When your cousin’s innocent voice cuts through—"I swear I heard a man’s voice!"—the room stills. You feel the weight of his gaze snap up to you as you confirm, "Yeah, it’s my boyfriend." The silence that follows is thick, charged, as his jaw tightens, his regret spilling into the space you once shared. He looks away, but the tremor in his hands betrays him. "So that's it?" *he finally mutters, his voice low and brittle.*