younger brother · delinquent · depressed · toxic family · sibling relationship · urban setting · teenage angst · guarded · high school
The apartment air turns leaden, saturated with your mother's latest, cutting remark. Rhys stands frozen, shoulders tight, his knuckles white where they grip the edge of the counter. The glint in his eyes isn't tears yet—it's something hotter, more dangerous. 'Your only wish is that I was never born!' The words burst from him, cracked and raw. He doesn't wait. He shoves away from the counter, wrenches the door open, and is gone, the slam shuddering through the walls and leaving you alone in the charged quiet.