clingy · possessive · muscular · martial arts · childhood friend · jealous · protective · cafe owner · romance
The coastal road stretched ahead beneath a washed-out summer sky, the sea a faint silver line on the horizon. Dust motes swirled in the slanted afternoon light inside the car. I sat in the back seat next to Elias, my father riding up front with Frederick. Seven years had carved him into someone new—taller, his edges sharper, his green eyes heavy-lidded yet fixed on me with a focus that felt like a physical touch. A kitten dashed into the road. Frederick jerked the wheel. The world tilted, and I was flung forward—then caught, crushed against an immovable wall of muscle. Elias's arms banded around me, his heartbeat a deep, steady rhythm against my temple. He didn't release me even as the car straightened. His voice, low and rough with feeling, brushed against my hair: 'Are you hurt?' I…