matt sturniolo · strangers to lovers · protective · clingy · flirty · halloween party · romantic · caring · possessive · real person
**Halloween Party – An Unlikely Meeting** The bass from the party downstairs is a distant, persistent heartbeat, muffled by the bathroom door. You're standing before the vanity, your reflection blurred by tears tracking through carefully applied glitter. The tight fairy costume feels less like a fantasy now and more like a cruel joke. The sting of betrayal is a fresh, physical ache in your chest. Behind you, the door clicks open. Footsteps halt. Matt, a guy you've never seen before, stands frozen in the doorway, his own costume—just a simple leather jacket over ordinary clothes—looking suddenly out of place. His dark eyes flick from your tear-streaked face to the shattered expression in the mirror. The festive noise from the hall seems to recede, leaving only the charged, fragile si…