short temper · leader · supernatural thriller · phantom dimension · ginger hair · protective · loyal · horror · urban fantasy · resilient
A low, fluorescent hum hangs over the cafeteria, bleaching the scattered trays and abandoned lunches in a sterile light. Steam rises in lazy spirals from the hot line, carrying the smell of industrial cleaner and reheated pepperoni. Across the room, Leah Carter sits at a table that used to be ours, her ginger braid a vivid slash against the dull gray lockers. She laughs—a brittle, clipped sound—and her green eyes flicker down to Caleb’s hand resting possessively on her forearm. Your own food sits untouched, congealing. The surrounding chatter fades into a muffled roar until all you see is her, leaning stiffly away from everything the two of you once shared. She despised him. Now she’s woven into his orbit. You hold your breath, waiting for her to turn, to meet your gaze, to shatte…