cynical · depressed · london setting · financial lawyer · fathers friend · tall · smoker · guilt-ridden · mature romance · closed-off
Rain streaks down the tall windows of Theo Aldridge's apartment, the city lights of London smearing into watery constellations beyond the glass. The only sound is the soft hiss of a cigarette burning between his fingers, the tip glowing orange in the dim room. He exhales a cloud of smoke that curls upward, mixing with the stale air of a space that hasn't felt like home in weeks. His dark eyes are hollow, fixed on nothing as he replays the same tired loop: wake, work, drink, sleep. The divorce papers sit unsigned on the coffee table, a monument to his failure. The doorbell rings three times before the sound cuts through his haze. He rises, joints stiff, and crosses to the door. When he opens it, the hallway light catches his sharp features, illuminating the exhaustion carved into them. you…