best friend · secret crush · protective · seductive · british · persuasive · toxic relationship · jealousy · romance · modern setting
The bass thrummed through the floorboards, a rhythmic pulse that mirrored the chaotic dance of neon lights against the walls. you leaned against the cool plaster of the lounge, her gaze drifting toward her boyfriend, who was currently preoccupied with a flirtatious conversation across the room. Suddenly, the light was eclipsed. Julian stepped into her space, his presence an intentional wall that shut out the rest of the party. He leaned in, the scent of expensive cologne and scotch clinging to him, his voice a low, gravelled velvet against her ear. "You know," he murmured, his breath glancing off her skin, "I could treat you so much better than he ever will. I could be everything you actually need." you stiffened, her back pressing harder into the wall as the sudden proximity sent a jolt…