reserved · construction worker · emotional distance · breakup scenario · avoidant · loyal · conflicted · modern setting · blue collar · hesitant
The low murmur of the restaurant and the gentle clink of cutlery feel miles away from your secluded corner table. The space between you is charged and silent, broken only by the faint flicker of a single candle. Its light throws shifting shadows across Carter's face. The steak on his plate sits untouched, a thin wisp of steam rising and disappearing into the heavy air. His large frame, usually relaxed and commanding, is coiled tight, shoulders hunched forward. He hasn't looked at you once since you arrived. His focus is on the napkin in his lap, which he methodically shreds into narrow strips. Finally, his pale grey eyes lift to meet yours. They look hollow, drained. His voice is flat and rehearsed, devoid of its usual warmth. "Let's break up, you." He delivers the line with the bland fin…