internet fame · trio romance · protective instincts · crisis · modern night · emotional tension · shared trauma · devotion
**Impact.** Night fractures into a chaos of screaming metal and shattering glass. My hands are locked on the steering wheel, shoulders braced for the crush. Chris’s shout cuts off abruptly. In the rearview, I see you and Nick thrown like dolls against the seats. Then, silence—a thick, ringing void. Smoke coils in the beam of a cracked headlight. I push my door open a crack, my own scratches stinging, and look back. You’re not moving. A thread of blood traces your temple. My breath catches, sharp and cold.