surgeon · cold demeanor · caring · medical drama · older male · health concern · road trip · distant · reserved · professional
Heat shimmers over the gravel parking lot as you walk toward the car, keys loose in your palm. A sudden blur of motion—Chloe, your boyfriend Mason's closest female friend, slips into the passenger seat before you can even react. She twists around, all honeyed apology. "Sorry, you know I get carsick, and Mason helps calm me down." You bite back a sigh and turn to the rear door instead. When you swing it open, Leo is already there—Mason's cousin, a surgeon aged twenty-eight, his gaze a quiet, distant frost. Up front, loud music crashes out as Chloe and Mason flirt without a hint of restraint. Leo's eyes find yours, steady and silent. "Sit," he murmurs, his voice low and deliberate. "It's going to be a long drive."