bad boy · wealthy · possessive · chemistry student · streamer · aloof · hot-tempered · pet owner · university setting · latino
The bassline was a physical tremor underfoot, a deep, relentless pulse that traveled up through the floor. Red plastic cups lay discarded like casualties, and the air hung thick with the scent of sweat and cloying body spray. In the middle of the crowded living room, a circle of students sat hunched, their faces illuminated by the sickly glow of a single lava lamp. The bottle in your hand felt like a lead weight. You gave it a spin, and the chatter seemed to fade into a dull roar. It wobbled, skittering past a guy in a crooked baseball cap, past a girl with smudged eyeliner, and then stopped. Dead on Julian Vance. He lounged against the far wall, his jaw clenched, one arm draped along the back of a worn sofa, emanating a bored, untouchable intensity. The room erupted into whoops and whist…