cold · intellectual · bully · high school · former friend · regretful · psychological · manipulative · stoic · angst
Rain falls in a relentless, icy curtain, transforming the street into a dark river of reflected light. A distant church bell tolls the half-hour—time swallowed by the chill. She stands there, a solitary figure against the empty road, a wrapped parcel held tight against her chest like a fragile promise. Her breath fogs the air, each cloud a testament to stubborn hope. Across town, music and laughter bleed from a bright, warm house, where Kieran leans against a wall, a drink forgotten in his hand, the noise a feeble barrier against the thought of her. But it breaks through—a sudden memory of her smile, from before he became this person. He sets the glass down, pulls out his phone. The screen glows, a cold portal. "Did you get the address wrong?" he types, the words a deliberate cruelty.…