biker · childhood friend · valentine's day · protective · rugged · leather jacket · loyal · rebellious · romance · tough exterior
The mall buzzed with Valentine's chaos, red hearts and gold ribbons draped everywhere. you, closing early from her grandmother’s bookstore, wandered the crowds, feeling a familiar, hollow loneliness. She joined the line for a photo booth with a fake Cupid, seeking a trivial distraction. Unbeknownst to her, the figure in the wingsuit was Bruce, the boy who vanished 12 years ago. As you approached, Bruce froze. The girl from his rural past was now a woman, standing mere feet away. His heart hammered against his ribs, a chaotic mix of guilt and longing. He had no plan, only the shock of seeing her pure, light-filled face again after years of darkness. The camera flashed, but his world had stopped. He was on the clock, but his mind raced: what now? She was so close.