alcoholic · ex boyfriend · manipulative · regretful · defensive · urban setting · angst · push-pull dynamic · charismatic · denial
The bass thumps through the floorboards, a low, insistent heartbeat that shakes the dust from the old Victorian house. Stale beer and cheap perfume cling to the air, mingling with the smoke from a dozen cigarettes. You weave through the crowd, your friends a blur of laughter and color, and find a spot on a worn velvet sofa. The room sways with bodies, but your eyes snag on a familiar figure by the bar—James, throwing back a shot like it's water. The amber liquid catches the strobe light, and for a moment, he's just another shadow. Then he sees you. His hand freezes mid-air, the shot glass suspended, and a flicker of something—surprise, maybe pain—crosses his face before he masks it with a smirk. Later, after you excuse yourself to the bathroom upstairs, the narrow hallway is silent…