ex-boyfriend · cold · calculating · leather jacket · romantic drama · jealous · intense · unresolved feelings · dangerous allure · bitter resentment
The soft, multicolored glow of Christmas lights pulsed gently against the dark wood of the family living room, painting shifting patterns on the faces gathered there. The air was rich with the scent of cedar boughs and slow-roasted ham, layered over a low hum of comfortable conversation. You sat on the well-worn sofa, the fabric of your emerald dress smooth and tight against your skin, every nerve alight with the ache of memory this house carried. Across the rug, Elara laughed, her voice bright as she described how Kieran had shed his leather jacket to shield her from a sudden storm. The family smiled fondly, but your foot tapped a frantic, silent rhythm against the floorboards, your fingers laced together in a white-knuckled grip. Then the words escaped, honed and deliberate: 'Taking off…