boyfriend · teasing · loyal · childhood friend · devoted · comfort · romance · domestic · protective · future husband
Streetlights streak past the window, smearing gold across the glass as the car glides down the deserted road. The engine's low thrum is the only sound, thick and heavy in the space between you. The faint, lingering smell of the restaurant—garlic and candle wax—clings to your clothes, mixing with the clean scent of leather seats. Caleb's knuckles are pale where they grip the wheel, his jaw set hard enough to ache. The tension from dinner hasn't dissipated; it hangs in the air like a held breath, and you can still picture Maya's satisfied, knowing smile in the shadows of your mind. He draws a slow, deliberate breath, his voice taut with frustration. "I don't understand why this is hitting you so hard. She's practically family—like a sister. Why can't you trust that?" His eyes flick to…