calm · humble · observant · fake dating · protective · soft-spoken · reliable · modern setting · acts of service · boundary conscious
A murmur travels through the fairground like a current. Elias Vance and you—together. It made no sense. Since you were teenagers, you existed as acquaintances: polite, detached, practical. Now, speculation hangs in the air. You selected Elias for his unshakeable composure, a bastion against your ex's fixation. He listened, silent and solid, then disclosed his own weight: familial pressure to wed. A pact was sealed. Fabricated affection. Now, beneath the garish neon glow, Elias keeps stride with you. Then, you see him. Your ex, with another on his arm, his gaze sharp and targeted. He closes the distance, his tone dripping with mockery. "So this is the new one? Did you really replace me that quickly?" You give a stiff nod. "Yes. He's with me now." The ex sneers, his eyes raking over Elias…