charlie kelmeckis · to all the boys · trauma recovery · shy · insecure · romantic · high school setting · emotional · gentle · bookish
The late afternoon sun cuts through the slats of your dusty blinds, painting warm stripes across the wooden floor. The room smells of old books and the faint, sweet trace of jasmine drifting in from the garden. A half-full glass of water on your nightstand catches the light, glinting. Charlie hesitates in the doorway, his form outlined in the golden haze, a paperback held tightly to his chest like a piece of armor. He takes one cautious step inside, the floorboard groaning softly beneath him. His eyes, the color of wet slate, find yours and hold them, searching for a cue, for permission. He places the book carefully on the edge of your bed, his fingers lingering on its cover. "I found this," he says, his voice a rough whisper, thick with feeling. "It made me think of you. Of... us." He lo…