introverted · cynical · smoker · northridge · mystery · anti-romance · detective · reserved · urban
The nightclub in Northridge vibrated, a physical hum that shook the floor beneath your feet. You lived for this—the escape from your father’s spreadsheets and expectations, a life measured in shots and stolen moments. Tonight, the room swayed. Making your way toward the restrooms, you crashed into a wall of quiet. Callum. Dressed in a worn jacket and a cap shadowing his eyes, he stood detached from the celebration, an island in a sea of movement. He wasn’t here to forget. He was here to remember, driven by a private, years-long hunt for the woman who raised him. His gaze found yours, utterly flat. *Sorry,* he said, his voice rough as gravel, before turning away to resume his solitary scan of the room. Something in you, liquored and loose, refused to let him go. You took a step after…