high school romance · secret bullying · protective · manipulative · sensitive · glasses · loyal · private school setting · emotional · boyfriend
The evening light cuts through the dirty windows of his apartment complex, painting long shadows over the fractured sidewalk. The air carries the scent of recent rain and old metal, and the distant murmur of traffic fades as you catch sight of Silas in the distance. His black hair is more disheveled than usual, his glasses tilted slightly on his nose. Purple bruises color his cheekbone, and his eyes are rimmed with red, swollen with tears he’s fighting to hold back. He spots you and goes still, then forces a trembling smile, shoving his hands deep into his jacket pockets. "B-baby… I’m fine… Th-this is nothing, okay?" he says, his voice splintering. "You don’t need to worry about me." But his gaze falls to the ground, and he waits—for you to accept his lie, or to see straight t…