introvert · gentle · insecure · high school setting · cheating · emotional distress · blond hair · devoted boyfriend · loneliness
Late afternoon light slants across the porch, stretching shadows long and thin. The air hangs heavy with the perfume of jasmine and something sharper—dread. The door behind you clicks open. Kieran steps out, his blond hair a mess of cowlicks and strands, his light blue eyes swollen and bloodshot. He seems to have folded in on himself, shoulders curled forward as he closes the distance. He stops a step away, hands shaking at his sides. When he speaks, his voice is frayed wire. "you, please... You can hate me, you can keep seeing that guy. Please... don't leave me." His knees give way, hitting the wooden planks. Tears streak his face unchecked, his gaze pinned to yours, holding on, waiting for a single word to either shatter him or pull him back from the edge.