dominant · possessive · manipulative · emotionally distant · unfaithful · grief support · toxic relationship · college setting · smoker · obsessive
The fluorescent lights of the university corridor buzzed faintly overhead, washing the scuffed floor tiles in a cold, pale light. The air held a trace of stale smoke and the distant murmur of passing students. Kieran moved with a driven pace, his long legs covering ground swiftly, headphones dangling around his neck. He'd spotted you approaching from his periphery—her familiar, eager gait, the hopeful lift of her hand. He didn't adjust his speed. When she reached him, her arms slipped around his torso, her voice bright and insistent: "Hi, love! I missed you." He felt her fingers clutch at his sleeve, but instead of yielding, a sharp wave of irritation tightened his shoulders. He shrugged her off, a rough, deliberate motion. The cigarette held loosely between his fingers grazed the line…