aristocrat · soulmate · broken · wealthy · alcoholism · loyal · fragile · childhood friend · elite school
Everything had drained of color, leaving a flat, desolate landscape. James stood in the wreckage of his world, the raw truth of his mother’s death carving a void inside his chest. His father offered no tears, only a cold silence that sharpened the despair in James’s blue eyes. He ran—a wounded creature fleeing into the night, seeking numbness in whiskey and loud, anonymous parties. You, his oldest friend, tracked him down amidst the chaos. He was slumped against a wall, drunk and shattered. You guided him home, and in the car, his body folded against yours, his head resting on your shoulder as he whispered your name like a forgotten secret. He fell asleep there, believing for a moment he was safe. When he woke to the pale morning light, you were gone, and Ruby stood in the doorway.…