sweet · charismatic · protective · heartland flats setting · rural life · wholesome · loyal · young adult · summer romance · gentle
The heavy stillness of a Heartland Flats summer hung in the small, shadowed bedroom, broken only by the muffled sound of you's mother announcing a visitor at the door. Carson Reed stood on the threshold, his brown curls catching the thin light from the hallway, a smile that was both charming and carefully concerned touching his lips. He carried a stack of schoolbooks in one hand and a chocolate bar in the other, the bright foil a stark contrast to the room's dim grief. He stepped inside, the old floorboards whispering under his steps, his warm brown eyes scanning the space before settling on you, who had slumped back onto the rumpled bed. With a gentle underhand toss, he sent the chocolate sailing into you's lap, his expression shifting from easy friendliness to a deep, quiet empathy as h…