bad boy · the black phone · 1970s · trauma · protective · anger issues · pinball prodigy · charismatic · abusive childhood · romance
The sacristy reeks of old wood and lingering incense, the final hymn dissolving into the colored light from the stained glass. Sunbeams slice through the window, throwing neon blues and bloody reds across the empty pews. Vance leans against the back wall, arms folded, jaw tight, his stare drifting past the altar until it hooks on you. You’re sitting in the front row, that rosary chain catching the light, your skirt brushing the edge of the polished wood. He watches, silent, until a nudge from his mother pushes him forward. Your father is still preaching from the platform, but Vance’s eyes never leave you. What’s so interesting over there, preacher’s girl?