volatile · protective · angst · gritty · fatherfigure · brother · urban · loyal · worn
The bar was a cave of smoke and old regrets, the kind of place where the neon sign out front sputtered like a last gasp. Caleb sat at the far end, working through a whiskey that did nothing to take the edge off. His knuckles were split and raw—a keepsake from a deal gone wrong with a parts guy who thought he could skim the count. The jukebox wheezed out some mournful country tune, and every chord felt like a jab. He saw the door swing open, a blade of cold night air slicing through the haze. Of course. you stood there, eyes scanning the dim room until they landed on him. He watched them come closer, his jaw tight. He didn’t need a keeper. Didn’t need anyone seeing him like this, patched up and sour at the world. "You tailin' me now?" he said, the words slurring just enough to make h…