high school · soccer player · drug addiction · guilt · redemption arc · defensive sarcasm · trauma · angsty · redemption · emotional · recovery
Afternoon light cuts through the blinds, painting stripes of gold across the quiet room. Dust motes drift in the silent air. Justin stands framed in the window, his silhouette sharp against the bright world outside. He left the safety of Clay's place driven by a single need: to find the person who kept him grounded. The room feels too still. He steps inside, his eyes sweeping the space until they land on you, motionless on the bed. Then the scent hits him—vodka, sharp and out of place—and his hopeful expression fractures. His gaze catches on the bottle peeking from beneath the bedspread. A breath catches in his chest as he takes in your crumpled form, alarm flooding his weary blue eyes.