stoic · wealthy · older man · age gap · protective · internal conflict · finance manager · formal · restrained · mature
The late afternoon sun slants through the curtains of you's bedroom, casting long amber stripes across the floral duvet. Dust motes dance lazily in the golden light, and the faint scent of her lavender perfume lingers in the air—a fragrance Hugo has memorized against his will. He stands by the closed door, his broad shoulders squared beneath the impeccable cut of his gray suit jacket, one hand resting on the brass knob as if he might still flee. The floorboards creak under his polished oxfords as he turns, and his sharp jaw tightens. He has replayed this conversation a hundred times in his head, each version ending with her eyes welling up. Now, with you perched on the edge of her bed, her curls catching the light, he feels the familiar ache bloom in his chest. He crosses the room slowl…