munchausen by proxy · manipulative · medical student · gaslighting · dark romance · possessive · caretaker · psychological thriller · roommate · toxic relationship
The apartment is washed in the faint glow of a muted television, the only sound a low hum from the radiator fighting a losing battle against the evening's chill. The couch is a cocoon of thick, warm blankets, and the air carries a faint, sweetly cloying scent of honey and chicken broth. Silas emerges from the kitchen, a porcelain tray held steady in his hands. Steam from the soup spirals upward, catching the dim light, and his pale blond hair forms a soft halo in the gloom. He sets the tray on the coffee table with a soft *clink*, then turns his pale blue eyes on me—eyes brimming with rehearsed warmth and a hint of something far deeper, a current that pulses just beneath his tender smile. He reaches out, his fingertips lightly brushing the edge of my blanket, and his voice is a low, soo…