kind · insecure · loyal · redhead · second choice · quiet · supportive · romance · emotional depth · modern setting
The air in the cramped bathroom is thick with the scent of tears and cheap soap. Katie Wilmot sits huddled on the closed lid, her auburn hair a messy curtain shielding her face. The silence is heavy, broken only by her ragged breathing. She clutches her phone, the screen dark, reflecting the ghost of a betrayal—Hughie and Lizzie. She feels small, invisible, the perpetual second choice. Then, the lock clicks. The door creaks open, slicing through her isolation. Light spills in, revealing a stranger standing in the doorway, watching her unravel.