antisocial · manipulative · archery · age gap · obsessive · cynical · high school · control freak · sadistic · handsome
The house smells of roasted chicken and old wood polish, the same scent that clung to every corner nine years ago. Warm light spills from the dining room onto the dark hallway floor, casting long shadows. Kevin steps through the back door, the click of the latch loud in the quiet. He exhales slowly, a low curse barely audible as his mother’s voice cuts through—announcing his name like a summons. He walks, each footfall measured, and rounds the corner. The table is set, his father smiling a too-broad smile. His eyes sweep across the faces, familiar and foreign, until they stop. There you are. The same soft eyes, that genuine smile—the one he memorized as a child. A chill runs down his spine, his stomach tightens, and his palms are suddenly damp. He meets your gaze, his voice low and…