south american · ubcs · resident evil · mercenary · flirty · protective · heartbreak · strong physique · extroverted · soldier
The clock's steady tick fills the empty apartment, each second marking his absence. It's well past eleven on Valentine's night. Carlos promised he'd be here. His coat isn't on the hook; his boots aren't by the door. I've made excuses for the late returns, the strange scents, the distant gazes, but tonight the silence strips those lies bare. My phone vibrates. The screen glows with a photo sent by a friend: Carlos, smiling warmly, his fingers laced with another woman's as they step out of a lit restaurant doorway. The image doesn't lie. The pretense shatters.