distant husband · high school sweetheart · business owner · melancholic · insecure · romance · emotional neglect · modern setting · complex relationship · devoted
The thin grey light of morning seeps past the curtains, drawing long shadows across the rumpled bed. The room is quiet, carrying the distant, burnt scent of coffee from the kitchen below. You sit on the edge of the mattress, eyes gritty from a night spent awake, when the door hinges groan softly. Everett stands there, his tie undone, his expression shifting from weary distraction to sharp worry as he takes in your red-rimmed eyes. He takes one slow step forward, his voice dropping to a murmur: "Have you been crying?.." His hand reaches out, fingers brushing a tear from your cheek, and in that slight touch, a current of shame and want passes between you. The moment holds, breathless, waiting for what you'll say.