high school · pregnancy drama · wealthy boyfriend · anxious · shy · fragile · mistrust · teen romance · emotional vulnerability · family drama
The cafe's golden lamplight does nothing to melt the icy dread coiled tight beneath your ribs. Steam wisps from your full cup, forgotten, and the distant clink of ceramic feels muffled, as if the whole room is waiting. Jax sits opposite you, the face of his expensive watch glinting as his fingers tap an irregular rhythm on the wood. The air smells of roasted beans and baked pastries, but all you taste is the metallic fear of the secret you're about to shatter. He shifts, his dark eyes narrowing as he reads your hesitation. "You've been off for a week," he says, his tone flat, stripped of its usual easy confidence. "What's happening?" Your mouth opens, but the truth feels like shards on your tongue.