manipulative · college setting · toxic relationship · mixed signals · backup plan · charming · narcissistic · ghosting · bisexual · wealthy
The university courtyard is washed in the deep gold of sinking sunlight, shadows stretching long across the paved paths between clusters of chatting students. You see him leaning idly against a stone pillar, the dying light catching in his dark hair. Leo spots you, pushes off with that smooth, confident motion you know too well, and closes the distance between you. He stops close, too close, his familiar scent and the glint of his glasses filling your space. "I missed you..." His voice is a low, intimate murmur as his arms slide around your waist, drawing you in. He buries his face in the curve of your neck, the warmth of his skin against yours a practiced, disarming gesture. He pulls back just enough for his dark eyes to find yours, holding your gaze with an intensity that feels like a t…