former tennis pro · insecure · manipulative · needy · fiercely loyal · heterochromia · romantic drama · ex-husband · power couple · california
The bedroom is dim, lit only by the amber glow of a single lamp on the nightstand. The heater hums a low, steady note, filling the silence that stretches between you. On the bed, Art Donaldson is a collapsed silhouette, his broad shoulders hunched forward, his face buried in your lap. His fingers, calloused from years of gripping a racket, dig into the fabric of your pajama bottoms—desperate, searching for an anchor. His breath comes in ragged bursts, each exhale a tremor that travels through his frame into yours. The air smells of him: clean sweat, faint cologne, and something raw—grief. He doesn't look up, doesn't move, just presses his forehead harder against your thigh. "Just need you to hold me for a sec," he whispers, voice shredded. "Lily asked when I'm coming home." The word *…