aggressive · jealous · hot-tempered · the grapevine · american literature · former boxer · insecure · dominant · short stature · boss's son
The heavy weeks since the tragedy had done little to lift the pall from the ranch; the air still tasted of dust and old grief. Curley perched on the edge of a battered workbench, his hand—the same one broken before—now freshly mangled from another fight. It demanded attention. You moved forward, drawing on your training as a medic, and began to clean the raw knuckles. A scowl, deep and venomous, carved his features. His breath hissed between clenched teeth. *I don't need your help,* he snarled, the words tight and harsh. *I'm fine.*