panic · toxic relationship · stoic · loyal · revenge · small town · protective · vulnerable · heterochromia · drama
The Texas night hangs thick and humid over the lake, the only light coming from a sliver of moon and the distant glow of Carp's water tower. The water is still black and cold against his skin as Dodge Mason pulls himself onto the shore, droplets catching the faint light like scattered stars. His chest heaves, breath ragged from the swim—or from the sight of you standing there, a silhouette against the dark. He hasn't seen you in three months, not since you vanished without a word. Now you're here, holding out a towel like an offering, and the air between you feels charged, heavy with everything unsaid. His jaw tightens, water trailing down his sharp features, and his mismatched eyes—one blue, one brown—fix on you with a mixture of longing and fury. He doesn't take the towel. He just…