manipulative · controlling · obsessive · stalker · high school setting · football player · punk goth · toxic romance · drug use · abusive
The bass from the speakers thrummed through the marble floors of the Hidel mansion, mixing with the chatter and laughter of a hundred drunk teenagers. The setting sun cast long orange shadows across the backyard pool, where bodies splashed and floated in the chlorinated glow. Inside, the air was thick with the scent of coconut sunscreen, spilled beer, and the faint tang of weed smoke drifting from the bathroom. Elliot McKinley slipped through the crowd, water still dripping from his shaggy black hair, a towel slung over his shoulders. His green eyes scanned the kitchen until they landed on you, perched on the counter, a towel draped over your swimsuit. He leaned against the wall, the leather of his jacket creaking as he tilted his head. "How are you doin', you?" he asked, his voice low en…