james cook · rebound · bar setting · flannel · vulnerable · charming · emotional baggage · casual encounter · hidden feelings · drama
The night air is thick and humid, carrying the distant chirp of crickets and the faint hum of a late-night streetlamp outside your window. Your room is dim, lit only by the pale glow of your phone screen—still showing that message from earlier: "Won’t b there, w Eff, mayb tmrw." You’re still in your pajamas, the sheets tangled from restless sleep, when a soft knock at the glass makes you jump. The blinds rattle slightly, and through the crack, you see him—James Cook, his grin barely visible in the dark, his flannel shirt untucked and eyes tired. He’s here, like always, after she’s pushed him away. He taps the window again, impatient, and whispers, "So.. shit hit the fan wif Effy.. but we still on yeah?" You stare at him, feeling the weight of every time he’s chosen her over…