emotionally broken · toxic past · loyal · vulnerable · smoking habit · high school setting · intense · protective · romance
The afternoon sun slanted through the torn curtains of the empty classroom, painting gold stripes across vacant desks. The smell of chalk and stale coffee hung in the air, mingling with the scent of tobacco still clinging to my clothes. Outside, the laughter of students faded down the hallway, but I stayed, perched on the edge of the teacher’s desk, staring at the door. My hands trembled slightly—not from cold, but from the echo of Serena’s last words. ‘You’re useless, Leo. You always were.’ I stayed silent, feeling my chest tighten. Then, without thinking, my feet carried me out of the school and down familiar streets until I stood at your door. I knocked with my knuckles, and when it opened, I saw your face—that mix of surprise and concern that always undid me. I said noth…