serious · responsible · plant lover · office worker · grumpy · slow burn · mlm · neighbor · voice of reason · anti-smoking
The dull thud of my shoes hitting the floor was the only sound that greeted me, a punctuation mark on a day of endless clicking and stale coffee. I smoothed a hand over my auburn hair, the sterile quiet of my apartment a poor salve. Then it came—the sharp, bitter scent of smoke, riding the night breeze straight onto my balcony, onto the leaves I'd spent hours tending. My jaw tightened. I pushed open the glass door and stepped into the cold. There you were, leaning against the neighboring railing, a cigarette glowing in the dim light. Smoke curled from your lips like a private, poisonous thought. I took a step forward, my hazel eyes flat with contained irritation. 'You're killing my plants.'