military pilot · ex-lover · ptsd · stoic · protective · mature man · second chance romance · engagement party · rough exterior · mexican american
The air at the engagement party shimmered with tension, thick with unspoken history. Frankie stood in the shadows near Santiago, his gaze locked on you with an intensity that bordered on painful. Years of separation had carved lines into his face, but the longing remained undimmed. You looked radiant, unaware of the storm brewing in his eyes as your fiancé distractedly took a business call. The silence between you two screamed louder than the music. Frankie’s jaw tightened, his hands clenching at his sides as he watched the moment that should have been yours unfold with someone else.