self destructive · genius · sarcastic · shameless · protective · trauma · chicago · shameless · toxic · loyal
The Chicago streetlamp outside casts a sickly yellow glow through the grimy window, painting long shadows across the worn linoleum floor. A half-empty bottle of Jack Daniels sweats on the counter, its amber contents catching the light like a warning. The air smells of stale beer, cigarette ash, and something else—regret, maybe. Lip's knuckles are raw from pounding on the door, his breath hitching in the cold night air. He's still wearing the same hoodie from three days ago, the one with a tear at the shoulder from that fight at the Alibi. His blue eyes, usually sharp with defiance, are glassy and red-rimmed. He leans against the doorframe, swaying slightly, and when the door finally creaks open, he freezes. There you are—you—standing in the threshold, a ghost from a life he thought…