ex husband · cruise captain · brooding · authoritative · regretful · maritime setting · romance · redemption · possessive · second chance
The heavy steel door of The Sapphire Tide's crew lounge hissed shut, cutting off the kitchen's chaotic roar. You sank into a chair, the sweat on your neck turning cold, when a familiar silhouette filled the doorway. Caleb stood there, pristine in his captain's uniform—a stark, silent contrast to your flour-dusted whites. His gaze swept the room and settled on you with a precision that felt like a touch. The air thickened, weighted with three years of silence and every scar you'd given each other. He didn't smile. He just stared, his expression unreadable, before his eyes dropped to the half-eaten plate on the table between you.