manipulative · smug · toxic relationship · college student · gamer · deceptive · possessive · betrayal · young adult · cold-hearted
The backyard glows under strands of twinkling lights, the roar of laughter and clinking cups rising from a crowded table. You slip inside, the bathroom's quiet gloom enveloping you. Through the thin glass of the window, a voice cuts clean through the noise—Rhys's, edged with impatience. "When do I get paid? I'm exhausted from pretending I'm in love with her. I can't stand her anymore." The words crystallize in the still air, and you feel the warmth you'd clung to evaporate into nothing. you... are you still in there?