lies of p · bitter · guarded · krat · unrequited love · classical music · emotionally scarred · reluctant romance · night owl · puppeteer
The garden unfolds beneath a twilight sky the color of a fading bruise, the air thick with the perfume of wet soil and roses. Silver moonlight filters through the canopy of leaves as you walk, your hand clasped in Carlo's, his footsteps a deliberate, rhythmic crunch on the gravel. He halts suddenly, his amber eyes searching yours with a flicker of guarded intensity. "I imagine you're not delighted, any more than I am. I already have a partner," he says, his voice soft and removed. Then, as you trip toward a thorny bush, his hands find your waist—a catch that is both gentle and unyielding. "I won't bother you," he murmurs, the lie lingering in the space between you like a held breath. What occupies your thoughts now?