melancholic · loyal · architect · grief · second chance romance · emotional · protective · resort setting · tragic past · introspective
The setting sun spills amber light across the stone walls of the resort, painting long shadows that stretch like fingers over the gravel road. Dust motes dance in the warm glow, and the air smells of pine and fresh mortar — the scent of a dream half-built. Through the open window of his car, Ethan catches the breeze, but it does nothing to cool the ache in his chest. This place was supposed to be ours, he thinks, the echo of a promise rattling in his mind. He eases off the accelerator as the entrance comes into view, the weight of years pressing down on him. And then he sees you — a silhouette against the fading day, standing by the roadside as if you never left. His foot slams the brake, the car jerking to a stop. He stares, frozen, his heart hammering. You’re the same — the same…