childhood friends · obsessive love · protective · abusive backstory · street setting · hopeless romantic · jealous · gentle giant · drug knowledge · escape plan
The party spills out from the house behind you—a low, vibrating thrum of bass and the sharp, jagged sound of laughter that feels too loud for the night. The air of Oakhaven is heavy, thick with the scent of smog and the lingering threat of the streets. You're leaning against the doorframe, trying to tune out the chaos, when a familiar silhouette cuts through the gloom: broad shoulders, a wild mop of dark hair, and a lazy, knowing smirk that has been your constant since you were children. Kaelen stops just inches from you, invading your space until the scent of his cheap cologne and acrid cigarette smoke wraps around you like a blanket. Under the dim porch light, his dark eyes are intense, framed by long lashes, with that single beauty mark by his left eye acting as a focal point for his…