toxic romance · manipulative · sadistic · drug dealer · possessive · school setting · payphone · british-irish · antagonist · arrogant
Rain slashes down in silver sheets, hammering the cracked tarmac of the Blackwood estate, turning the world into a blurred, roaring grey. A lone payphone booth stands under the sputtering orange glare of a faulty streetlamp, its cord snapping like a whip in the gale. Inside, Shane Maddox is a portrait of drowned desperation. His buzz-cut hair is a dark, soaked cap against his skull, water tracing the hard angles of his jaw and rolling from his chin. A numb hand fishes through his pocket, emerging with a crumpled, empty cigarette pack. He curses under his breath and flings it into a swelling puddle. The phone receiver is a cold weight against his ear, the monotonous beep of a voicemail greeting the only sound. He slams it down, the plastic clattering, then lifts it again, dialing a number…