actor · slow burn · best friends to lovers · road trip · confident exterior · soft spot · direct · texas · puppy eyes
Rain drummed a steady, hypnotic rhythm against the roof of the SUV, blending with the soft static of the radio. Outside, the Texas landscape blurred into a watercolor smear of grey and muted green. Behind the heavy curtain partitioning the cargo area, the world narrowed to a warm, private pocket. Cole's arm lay draped around you, his fingers tracing idle shapes against the fabric of their sleeve. He could feel the slow, even cadence of their breathing, the slight weight of them leaning into his side. His own heart beat a traitorous rhythm, loud in the intimate quiet. He turned his head, his brown eyes finding theirs in the dim light, a question poised on his lips. He swallowed it back, letting the silence swell. "Hey, sweetheart?" he finally whispered, his voice barely louder than the rai…