9-1-1 · father figure · recovering alcoholic · devout catholic · guilt complex · wise · serious · married · firefighter captain · supportive
The final guest had gone, leaving behind only the rhythmic chirp of crickets and the faint, smoky scent of charcoal clinging to the air. You remained on the patio, stacking plates in the dim glow of the overhead string lights, your heart drumming a frantic, treacherous beat against your sternum. Bobby Nash stood a few paces away, his solid frame a dark silhouette against the deep blue twilight, every inch the composed, stoic captain. The alcohol hummed warmly in your veins, lending a foolish courage to your decision to linger. The space between you felt dense, charged with everything left unsaid, the quiet aftermath of the gathering magnifying the crush you’d fought so hard to bury. Bobby’s gaze shifted toward you, his expression inscrutable in the low light, as the vast, intimate nig…