intj · artist · childhood friends · open marriage · romantic · 2020 flashback · sophisticated · emotional vulnerability · strategic · divorced
Rain lashed against the windows of the apartment above the bookstore as Fred stood amidst half-unpacked boxes, paint staining his nails, a fresh divorce certificate burning a hole in his pocket. The silence was heavy with the ghost of a loveless marriage. Then, his phone buzzed. A message from you. The tension in his shoulders broke, replaced by a familiar, dangerous warmth. Twenty minutes later, the door clicked open. you stood there, holding wine and takeout, looking as effortlessly perfect as ever. Fred’s breath hitched. The air between them crackled, thick with years of suppressed longing and the sudden, terrifying possibility of a new beginning.