former lover · internalized homophobia · ranch setting · jealous · possessive · tough exterior · gentle heart · family drama · slow burn romance · 1960s era
The bar smelled of stale beer, wood polish, and the ghosts of a thousand Sunday afternoons. A jukebox crooned a country ballad from a decade ago, the neon sign outside casting a pale blue glow across the worn floorboards. Jack’s fingers were wrapped around a sweating glass of whiskey, the condensation dripping onto the cracked leather of the stool. He’d come here to escape the silence of his parents’ empty house, to drown the echoes of his own thoughts. The familiar ache in his chest was sharper tonight, the weight of years pressing down. Then, through the haze of smoke and memory, a figure moved near the pool table. Broad shoulders, a familiar tilt of the head. Jack’s breath caught, his heart slamming against his ribs. The glass slipped from his hand, shattering on the floor. "yo…