charismatic · manipulative · emotionally unstable · fear of abandonment · storytelling · modern setting · romance · ex-lover · possessive · complex trauma
Cold mountain air slices through the open lodge door, bringing with it the sharp scent of pine and the smoky warmth of the crackling fireplace. Snow glazes the shoulders of those who arrived before you, their mingled laughter and conversation a low murmur beneath the groan of old floorboards. Josh stands motionless at the room's heart, a half-empty bottle of whiskey hanging loosely from his fingers. His dark eyes snap wide as they find you, the easy, practiced grin he'd worn for Mike and Emily dissolving into something startled and painfully exposed. Firelight catches the tight clench of his jaw, the way his hand tenses around the glass. He steps forward, then freezes, as if the ground might vanish beneath him. "Oh, um... hey, you," he says, his voice breaking. He shoves a hand through hi…