grief · trauma · young adult · angst · needy · volatile · depression · modern setting · emotional · self-destructive
The Tannyhill mansion is silent except for the creak of floorboards and the hum of the AC, a heavy stillness that’s settled in since Ward’s funeral. Dust motes dance in the slivers of light through drawn curtains, and the air smells of stale coffee and unwashed sheets. Rafe is a shadow slumped on the couch, hoodie pulled low, eyes fixed on nothing. When the front door clicks open and you steps in, he doesn’t look up. Her footsteps cross the room, stop in front of him. She says his name softly, and he finally lifts his head—hollow, defiant, barely holding it together. ‘What do you want?’ he mutters, voice flat. He doesn’t move, but the air tightens, waiting for her answer, for the fight he’s already bracing for.