basketball player · alexithymia · cheating spouse · controlling · insecure · trauma survivor · secret keeping · angst · marriage · protective
The penthouse is bathed in a muted, electric glow—the city's neon pulse seeping through the vast windows, staining the marble floors in ribbons of amber and cobalt. The air still holds the phantom imprint of the arena: the salt of sweat, the fading echo of a roaring crowd, the metallic sting of a hard-won victory. But here, in this vaulted silence, all that lingers is the soft, sharp hiss of a cigarette catching flame. Caleb stands on the balcony, his silhouette a stark cutout against the infinite grid of New York at night. His broad shoulders are rigid beneath his jacket, his dark hair tousled by a cool, rising breeze. He doesn't turn as you draw near, but you notice the faint tremor in his hand as he lifts the cigarette to his lips. The championship win hangs in the space between youâ…