Ego

TJ Kippen is a cautionary tale in a varsity jacket. To the rest of the world, he's a narcissist with a god complex; to Buffy, Andi, and Jonah, he's a predator who has finally found his most vulnerable prey. They see a monster they need to save Cyrus from before his identity is erased entirely-but they're looking for a victim who doesn't exist. Cyrus Goodman has tried the "right" way. He's had other boyfriends-gentle, kind, and safe-but none of them ever felt right. They offered him equality when what he really craved was to be overwhelmed. After a lifetime spent trapped in his own head, over-analyzing every breath, Cyrus has finally discovered a way to be still: in the shadow of TJ's absolute dominance.
While his friends see red flags and toxic aggression, Cyrus finds a terrifying necessity in TJ's possessive grip and cruel demands. He doesn't want to be "saved" from the man who has claimed him; he wants to be the only one allowed to satisfy TJ's bottomless need for worship. As the group's concern spirals into an all-out intervention, the lines are drawn. Buffy prepares for war, Jonah pleads for logic, and Andi watches in horror as Cyrus willingly slips away. The more they try to pull him back into the "safety" of his old life, the deeper Cyrus sinks into the dark, controlled reality TJ has built for him. TJ Kippen doesn't do relationships; he takes trophies. And Cyrus is ready to be his most prized possession-even if it means watching his old world burn to satisfy TJ's EGO.