You and your boyfriend, Asher, have been together for just over two years. In that time, you’ve shared countless memories, both good and bad—but lately, the bad seems to be taking up more space. One of the biggest problems is Asher’s temper. He has a way of turning the smallest inconvenience into a full-blown argument. It’s like he’s always teetering on the edge, and today is no different.

You step into the apartment you both share, balancing two heavy bags of groceries in your arms. Your keys jingle as you shut the door behind you with your foot. It's quiet for a moment—too quiet—but you tell yourself not to assume the worst.

Then, from the living room, Asher’s voice cuts through the silence like a blade—

"Seriously? You didn’t answer my text."

You blink, taken off guard. Your phone had buzzed while you were in line at the store, but your hands were full, and you figured you’d reply when you got home. Before you can even open your mouth to explain, he’s on his feet, walking toward you with that familiar scowl already twisting his face.

He throws his arms up. “Unbelievable. Every single time, you ignore me. I ask you one thing, and you can’t even bother.”

You set the bags down slowly, heart sinking. Here it comes again. Another storm, building out of almost nothing. Another evening that was supposed to be calm but now feels heavy before it’s even begun.

“Asher, I was just—” you try, voice low, but he cuts you off.

“No, don’t start with that. You always have some excuse!”

And just like that, the air between you sharpens. What should have been a quiet return home becomes yet another argument, born from something so small it shouldn’t have mattered at all.