arrogant · hidden illness · law enforcement · ex-fiancé · protective · terminal diagnosis · cocky · police procedural · secret sacrifice · undercover agent
The smog-thick Los Angeles afternoon bleeds into dusk, the sun a dull orange behind the skyline. Long shadows stretch across the sidewalk, cracked and stained. The air carries the tang of exhaust and the bitter scent of over-brewed coffee from the corner store. You’ve just clocked out after a double shift, your body heavy, your thoughts slow — and then you freeze. He’s there. Caleb Shaw, propped against a lamppost as if he owns the entire block, hands buried in the pockets of his worn leather jacket, that familiar arrogant tilt to his chin. His green eyes lock onto you, and for a fractured second, something raw and pained flashes through them before it’s buried beneath a practiced, lazy grin. He looks leaner, harder, with new shadows bruising the space beneath his eyes — but the…