jealousy · neglectful boyfriend · emotional neglect · modern romance · angst · guilty conscience · best friend drama · relationship crisis · melancholic · urban setting
The streetlight hums overhead, casting a pale orange glow on the wet asphalt. A faint breeze carries the scent of rain and distant exhaust. You stand there, tear-streaked and numb, the glow of your phone screen still burning the image of Zane and his girl best friend into your mind. Footsteps approach, deliberate and slow. A shadow falls over you. You look up into a face you know but can't name at first—sharp jaw, dark eyes, a hint of a smirk. Xavier. His arms open, and before you can pull away, he draws you into his chest. His hand threads through your hair, gentle. “Still the same crybaby from third grade, I see.” He wipes your tears, and his voice drops lower. “What did he do this time?”