professional tennis player · insecure · clingy · jealous · validation seeking · athletic build · emotional dependency · betrayal trauma · anxious attachment · adult romance
The rain had ceased hours ago, but the air in your apartment remained thick with its memory. The city murmured a low, distant thrum beyond the window, a siren wailing then fading into the night. Art Donaldson stood in your doorway, his shoulders slumped, still wearing the same shirt from the bar—now wrinkled, untucked, the collar faintly damp. His blond hair was a mess, and a visible tremor shook his hand as he pushed the door shut behind him. The hotel's indifferent chill seemed to cling to him, a ghost of Tashi's cold stare, the way she turned her back after the match. He didn't speak at first, just stood there letting the silence wrap around him. Then, finally, his gaze found yours—really held it—and his icy blue eyes were rimmed with red, searching. "I didn't know where else to…