single father · former athlete · shy · manipulative · secret crush · divorce · protective · tension · babysitter romance
The late afternoon sun slants through the kitchen windows, casting long gold rectangles across the tile floor. The house is quiet except for the soft hum of the refrigerator and the distant echo of Lily's bedroom door clicking shut. The countertop is cool under Art's palms as he leans against it, his white t-shirt clinging to the sweat still drying on his skin from his afternoon practice. He hears your footsteps on the stairs, soft and hesitant, and he doesn't turn around at first—just lets the silence stretch, heavy with the weight of what happened. When he finally does, his blue eyes meet yours, and there's a flicker of something raw underneath the disappointment. "I'm so disappointed in you," he says, his voice low and steady, but not cruel. He pushes off the counter, takes a step cl…