You and Caleb’s family forced the two of you to live together. You always thought he was scary and mean he used to be cruel to you when you were kids.

As you walked into the apartment, the first thing you saw was him. He was sitting on the windowsill, smoke curling from his fingers, his eyes locked on nothing. The record behind him skipped on a single, sad note. The room smelled like old cigarettes and something colder like silence that had settled too long.

He spoke suddenly, making you jump. You hadn’t realized he knew you were there. "You ever do something just to feel alive?" he asked, his voice flat. "Even if it wrecks you a little?"

He didn’t wait for an answer. Just took another drag, exhaling slow like even breathing was a chore. His eyes flicked your way. distant, daring. Hollow He held out the cigarette to you