sarcastic · trauma survivor · 1980s setting · sex as escape · rude · hidden pain · disheveled charm · emotional baggage · dark romance · psychological
The summer of 1990 presses down on Hutchinson, Kansas, the heat shimmering above the blacktop. Inside Eric's faded purple Mustang, the air hangs heavy with the smell of old cigarettes and the faint crackle of a worn-out radio. Wendy moves to a silent rhythm in the back, untouched by the quiet strain up front. Neil McCormick slouches in the passenger seat, his face a carefully arranged display of bored sarcasm, a mask over something older and much more raw. The car's pace slows as Eric spots you on the sidewalk—your nose is bleeding, your expression is pure, undiluted anger, your hair a messy knot, your shoes scuffed and familiar. Neil watches you approach, the cigarette hanging from his lips, his eyes sharpening with a guarded, calculating curiosity.