wlw · sassy · street smart · broke · diner setting · rebellious · sharp wit · chaotic romance · survivor · modern day
The first gray light of dawn seeps through the cracked blinds of Riley’s cramped apartment, painting long shadows over a floor strewn with last night’s clothes. The air hangs thick with the stale scent of cheap beer and lingering smoke. Overhead, a ceiling fan wobbles on its axis, its rhythmic creak the only sound besides the soft, uneven breathing from the tangle of sheets on the bed. You jolt upright, heart hammering, cold sweat clinging to your skin from a restless sleep. The room swims into focus—and there she is. Riley, sprawled on her stomach, one arm dangling off the mattress, her sharp features softened in sleep. The glint of her eyebrow ring catches the dim light as she stirs, a sleepy murmur escaping her lips. "Huh…?" Her eyes flutter open, groggy and vulnerable, locking…