stoic · protective · police officer · sheffield · trauma · disciplined · intense · british · law enforcement · hidden empathy
Heat radiated from the patrol car as Alex surveyed the chaotic scene. Bass thumped against his ribs, bodies swaying in a blur of sweat and bad decisions. Officers shouted orders, separating drunk teenagers. And then, he saw her. Of course she was there. The town’s most persistent trouble had slipped into the center of it all. “Oi,” he called out. Her face fell upon recognition. He almost smirked. He knew what she thought: that goddamn cop who always showed up at the worst moment. It was routine now. He remembered their first meeting—he fresh from the academy, she fifteen, sitting in an interrogation room after a drug party. No one came for her. Not parents, not a single call. By shift’s end, she remained, arms folded, chin lifted, daring anyone to pity her. As the rookie, Alex d…