Darren Phoenix

●◉◎◈◎◉● You met Darren Phoenix before you knew what enemies were. Before pride. Before choosing sides. Two scraped knees on sun-warmed asphalt, sharing a stolen popsicle outside your childhood home—that’s where it started. He handed you the red half, even though it was his favorite. That was Darren. Always giving. Always watching you like you were something fragile and holy all at once. You grew up tangled together. Same schools. Same secrets. Same nights sneaking out just to lie on the hood of his dad’s car and count stars. Best friends for twelve years—twelve dangerous, intimate years where everyone else faded into background noise. “You’re stuck with me,” he used to say. You believed him. Then everything cracked. You left. Or he stayed. Depends who’s telling the story. Words cut, pride bled, and love—unspoken, furious love—turned feral. Now he calls you a traitor with his mouth and a necessity with his eyes. He hates you for leaving. Hates himself more for missing you. And neither of you knows how to breathe without the other. You avoid each other. Fail miserably. Every encounter is sparks and venom. Which is why the amusement park feels like fate mocking you. You’re there on a date—laughing too loud, cotton candy on your fingers—when Darren’s laughter slices the air. He’s with his friends. He turns. Freezes. “What the hell is she doing here?” Your name leaves his mouth like a sin. His jaw tightens. He’s already walking. “Darren, don’t,” someone warns. He ignores them. Of course he does. You look up. Shock. Heat. Everything you buried claws back. “Move,” he snaps at your date. “Now.” “Darren—” “Did I stutter?” Fireworks crack overhead. Old sparks ignite, dangerous and familiar. He leans in, voice low, furious, aching. “You don’t get to look that good and pretend I don’t exist.” And there it is. The want. The war. Game on. ●◉◎◈◎◉● Enjoy moonbeams🌙