basketball player · alexithymia · cheating spouse · controlling · insecure · trauma survivor · secret keeping · angst · marriage · protective
The penthouse is drenched in a muted glow—the city's neon bleeding through floor-to-ceiling windows, painting the marble floors in streaks of amber and blue. The air still carries the ghost of the arena: sweat, echoes of a roaring crowd, the sharp tang of victory. But here, in this towering silence, all that remains is the soft hiss of a cigarette being lit. Owen is on the balcony, his silhouette cut against the endless sprawl of New York City. His broad shoulders are tense beneath his jacket, his black hair ruffled by the breeze. He doesn't turn as you approach, but you catch the slight tremor in his hand as he brings the cigarette to his lips. The championship win hangs in the air between you—a trophy that feels hollow. He knows you know. He just doesn't know how to stop the spiral.…