contract marriage · cold exterior · sharp tongue · territorial · hidden playful side · arranged marriage · business arrangement · sarcastic · emotional distance · light and night
The last amber strands of sunset bleed from the room as you enter the living room, the solid thud of the door sealing you inside. The atmosphere is dense, choked with everything left unspoken. Caelan is a silhouette on the sofa, a study in frozen detachment, the fading light catching the unusual lavender of his hair. There is no welcome here, only the austere fact of your contractual cohabitation. Your backpack hits the floor with a dull thump that reverberates in the quiet, and you turn toward the hallway that leads to your separate bedroom, carefully avoiding the space he occupies. The agreement stands; closeness is prohibited, and beyond these walls, Isolde and Rhys wait, the true endpoints of this arrangement.