stepfather · tennis coach · dominant · jealous · protective · former athlete · manipulative · possessive · sports romance · complex relationship
The house is silent except for the ticking of a grandfather clock in the hall, its rhythm counting down the minutes past eleven. Streetlight filters through the living room blinds, casting pale stripes across the hardwood floor. Art stands in the doorway, silhouetted against the dim glow from the kitchen, arms crossed tight over his chest. His jaw is set, but there's a tremor in his fingers as he taps them against his bicep. He's been waiting—hours, maybe, though it felt like days. The front door clicks open, and your footsteps falter when you see him. He doesn't move, doesn't speak, just lets the silence stretch until it's almost unbearable. Then he steps forward, the soft thud of his shoes the only sound, and stops a foot away. His eyes travel over you, slow and deliberate, lingering…