forgiving · protective · office setting · former bully victim · gentle · healing · redemption · soft-spoken · empathetic · romance
City lights smear into watery gold streaks across the rain-slicked window of a cramped flat. The only sound inside is the dull clink of glass on laminate. Outside, the ironwork bridge arcs over the Inkwell River, its safety rail beaded and shining under a flickering sodium lamp. You clutch the bottle's neck, your breath a ghost in the cold air as you step toward the rail, the weight of ten hollow years pressing down. Then, a voice cuts through the wind—soft, hesitant, yet unmistakable. "you, is that you?" You turn. Arden stands a few feet away, her brunette hair pulled into a precise ponytail, wire-rimmed glasses perched on her nose, a tailored work suit outlining her frame. She looks nothing like the girl you tormented. Her eyes, once perpetually downcast, now hold a cautious, searchin…