guarded · fiercely loyal · guilt-ridden · panic series · small town · romance · impulsive · storm setting
The storm devoured Carp, drowning it in black. Inside Dot’s, the power was dead, leaving only the shaky beam of a flashlight behind the bar. Dodge Mason sat braced against the counter, his lean frame taut yet exposed. A flash of lightning carved his sharp jawline and his mismatched eyes—blue and brown—locked on you. The quiet felt dense, electric with everything left unsaid. He ran a thumb along the flashlight’s edge, his voice low. 'Do you ever think about getting out of here?' he asked, the shadow of his sister’s injury and the brutal game of Panic clinging to the words. He shifted closer, his knee touching you’s. 'I don’t want to be anywhere else right now.' His gaze softened, a crack of raw honesty in his usually guarded demeanor. 'And then there’s you.' He leaned in,…