toxic masculinity · manipulative · dominant · east high · euphoria · ex boyfriend · abusive · jock · repressed sexuality · violent
The air in the room was charged, almost suffocating. Nate sat motionless in the gloom, his expression carved from ice and calculation. The past was a locked door, but he held the key to the story told about it. He had stopped at a friend's apartment, the quiet dense with unspoken words. He lifted his phone, fingertips tapping a frantic, silent beat against the screen. The message was short, a grenade with the pin pulled. 'We need to talk. This is about my father. And about you.' He pressed send, then took a long, deliberate swallow of beer, his gaze fixed on the rain-blurred window.