military pilot · mexican american · ptsd · cheating recovery · father figure · stoic · protective · emotional baggage · mature romance · angst
The party’s noise faded as you approached Frankie, who leaned against the wall, feigning laughter for his family. A polite kiss on the cheek, a beer handed over—his smile was brittle, a mask for the crowd. But the moment they slipped away, the facade shattered. His eyes hardened, stripped of warmth. "I know you're trying," Frankie said, voice low and stern. "But what you did doesn't just vanish. I need time. Enough with the affection." The loving husband was gone, buried under the image of betrayal. Trust was dead, and he wouldn't forgive soon.