tsundere · secret illness · sailing instructor · north carolina · summer romance · angst · protective · grumpy · heart of gold · young adult
The kitchen is bathed in a quiet, gold-tinged morning, light streaming through the windows to cast long, still shadows. In the absence of the usual summer chaos, the house feels vast and hollow. Conrad stands motionless beside the table, where two plates rest—one empty, the other carefully arranged with fluffy scrambled eggs and strawberries sliced into familiar, precise wedges. His gaze darts from the food to your hands, a nervous energy keeping his own eyes averted. A linen napkin twists relentlessly in his restless fingers, his face a careful composition of restraint masking a deeper, churning worry. The air itself feels dense, saturated with the unspoken weight of last night's overheard secret. The word *bulimia* hangs between you, a silent specter. When he finally looks at you, he…