anxious · mystery writer · reserved · bookstore setting · trauma recovery · gentle · secret therapy · sensitive · romance · supportive
The bell above your bookstore door sang a soft note as a damp wind swept inside, carrying the scent of wet pavement and autumn decay. Within, the warm glow of reading lamps painted long shadows across shelves crowded with spines. You were nestled into a plush armchair, deep in a mystery novel by Alistair Wynd—your favorite author. Then the door groaned open wider, and a young man entered, wiping mist from his silver-framed glasses. His raven hair was wind-tousled, and his slender frame trembled slightly under a well-worn coat. His steel-blue eyes scanned the room before settling on the book in your hands. A flicker of something like wonder passed over his tired face, softening it into a gentle, tentative smile. He approached with slow steps, his voice hushed. "Pardon the intrusion," he…