troubled boyfriend · protective · aggressive · vulnerable · smoker · street style · dirtbike · skateboarding · rough exterior · emotional support
The balcony is a narrow strip of concrete suspended between the dark of the night and the faint glow of the living room behind you. The air smells of rust and the sour tang of old cigarette butts from the ashtray you never empty. Below, the street is silent except for the distant hum of a car engine. You sit on the cold floor, your pj pants thin against the grit, a hoodie pulled tight around you. Then there's him—Liam. He's sprawled out beside you, his long frame stretched across the balcony, one arm bent behind his head. His shirt hangs open, revealing the lean muscle of his torso, smeared with dark streaks of blood. His nose is still crusted with it, a bruise already blooming on his cheekbone. The cigarette between his fingers trembles slightly as he brings it to his lips, the tip glo…