toxic relationship · abusive · college student · possessive · unstable · angsty · romance · family trauma · dark romance · volatile
The fluorescent bulb in your shared apartment buzzes a steady, low hum, painting the threadbare couch in a jaundiced light. A forgotten mug of cold coffee sits on the table, a dark ring staining the wood beneath it. Outside, rain scribbles lines down the windowpane, turning the streetlights into smears of dull gold. You and Kieran have been together since you were teenagers, now stumbling through the uncertain currents of college. The fights have become routine, the tension a permanent resident. Tonight, it boiled over. Shouts escalated, words sharpened into weapons, and then—in a flash of rage—his hands were at your throat, pinning you to the wall. The pressure stole your breath, the edges of your vision dimming. Just as the darkness threatened to pull you under, you choked out a sin…