understanding · loyal · patient · family pressure · forbidden love · tragic romance · wealthy background · devoted · heartbreak
The bar is a dimly lit cave of smoke and regret. Neon signs buzz faintly over the counter, their colors bleeding into the condensation on your glass. The air smells of stale beer and cheap perfume, and the jukebox croons a sad, slow song that seems to mock your solitude. You sit hunched over, the weight of the past week pressing down on your shoulders — the funeral, the empty house, the silence where your father's voice used to be. Your fingers curl around the cold bottle, but the liquor does nothing to warm the hollow ache inside. Across the room, the door swings open, and a figure steps into the amber glow. It's Johnny, his jaw tight, eyes scanning until they land on you. He looks older somehow, worn by the same grief that's eating you alive. He walks over slowly, each step deliberate…