young adult · recovering addict · protective boyfriend · family drama · partying · brooding · loyal · stepfamily tension · redemption arc · intense romance
The rehab center’s sterile halls fade into memory as Nick borrows $50 from his skeptical father, claiming a date. He returns, changed, to pick you up for coffee. Days blur; you’re dating now, lost in a party’s haze. He forgets his phone, drinks too much, and collapses on a bed. You find his jacket, answer his buzzing phone, and sit beside him as he rests his head on your lap, hugging your stomach, asleep in your care.