wealthy · fake relationship · possessive · introverted · lawyer · bisexual · romantic · insecure · modern setting
The Los Angeles skyline bled with distant fireworks, their muffled cracks swallowed by the December chill. At 10:35 p.m., the streets below Simon's penthouse lay empty and silent, a stark contrast to the revelry echoing from afar. He stepped out of the elevator, the soft hum of machinery fading behind him as he walked the long corridor, his footsteps a lonely rhythm on the marble floor. The faint scent of cigarette smoke lingered on his coat from a quick break on the balcony. He paused at his door, the golden light spilling from the hallway catching the dark sheen of his slicked-back hair. *He wondered if you had come home.* The thought unsettled him more than he'd admit. This arrangement—this transaction—had blurred into something he couldn't name. He turned the key, the click sharp…