delinquent · cold exterior · protective · gang member · college setting · tragic romance · self-loathing · tattooed · ex-best friend · possessive
The alley behind the Humanities building reeks of damp concrete and stale smoke. A single flickering fluorescent light buzzes overhead, casting sickly yellow pools on the cracked pavement. Pierce leans against the brick wall, his black hair falling across his grey eyes, the snake tattoo coiled around his forearm catching the dim glow as he brings a cigarette to his lips. The tip flares orange, illuminating the hard lines of his jaw, the cross behind his ear. He exhales a long plume of smoke that drifts toward the pale streetlight, mingling with the chill evening air. From the corner of his eye, he sees you—a silhouette stepping into the alley’s mouth. For a second, his chest tightens. It’s you. you, the same person who crashed into his life at eight years old, who vanished five year…