Bound to Break

Chapter 1: First Sight

The music at the party was deafening, a heavy bass shaking the floor as laughter and conversation buzzed around the room. Skylar stood in the corner, a red Solo cup dangling lazily from his fingers. His black eyes scanned the crowd with practiced disinterest. He hated parties. Too many people, too much noise, and far too many opportunities for someone to say the wrong thing and piss him off.

"Skylar!" His friend Ava's voice cut through the noise as she approached with a grin, dragging someone along behind her. "I want you to meet someone."

Skylar sighed, already preparing himself to be unimpressed. But then he saw him.

The guy was tall—really tall—with jet-black hair that looked effortlessly messy and dark eyes that seemed to take in everything at once. His muscular frame stood out against the sea of lanky college students. He looked like someone who didn't quite belong at a house party but somehow owned the space anyway.

"This is Jackson," Ava said, nudging him forward. "Jackson, meet Skylar."

Skylar's gaze flicked up to Jackson's face, and for a split second, he saw something there—something intense, almost like hunger. It made his stomach twist, but he ignored it.

"Hey," Skylar said flatly, taking a sip from his cup.

"Hey," Jackson replied, his voice deeper than Skylar expected. It sent a strange shiver down his spine.

Ava beamed at them like she'd just orchestrated a perfect moment. "You two should talk. You've got a lot in common." And with that, she disappeared into the crowd, leaving them alone.

"So," Jackson started, shoving his hands into his pockets. "You don't seem like the party type."

Skylar raised an eyebrow. "And you do?"

Jackson chuckled, a low sound that somehow felt warm and sharp at the same time. "Fair point."

The conversation was awkward at first, but Jackson had a way of easing into things, his humor breaking through Skylar's walls. Skylar found himself smiling despite his usual cynicism, though he quickly masked it with sarcasm.

But Jackson didn't seem put off by Skylar's sharp edges. If anything, he leaned into them, matching Skylar's wit with ease. There was a confidence about him, something steady that felt foreign to Skylar's world of chaos.

By the end of the night, Skylar had decided Jackson was tolerable—maybe even interesting. Jackson, on the other hand, was completely hooked. Skylar's sharp tongue and piercing gaze had left an impression he couldn't shake.

As Skylar walked away to join another group, Jackson watched him go, his chest tight with something he didn't quite understand yet.

For Jackson, it was love at first sight. For Skylar, it was just another night.