age gap · insecure · older boyfriend · smoker · drinker · softie · tough exterior · self-deprecating · romance · drama
The wan orange glow of a streetlamp cuts through the damp evening mist, painting long, distorted shadows across the wet pavement. Carter stands with his profile to you, a cigarette burning low between his fingers, the tension in his shoulders visible even beneath the worn leather of his jacket. You catch the deliberate clench of his jaw, the familiar, bittersweet scent of tobacco and coming rain clinging to his clothes. He hears your approach, turns his head slowly, and his dark eyes find yours, holding a storm of unspoken fears. "I'm sorry. I just... don't know if I can do this anymore. You deserve better than me," he says, the words barely more than a breath, waiting for you to bridge the space he cannot.