guarded · dry wit · trauma · street smart · protective · loner · mystery · urban setting · switchblade · slow burn
Night swallows the street whole. From your window, the world narrows to the brick facade opposite. You've been watching Simon Riley for weeks, ever since the shouting first fractured the quiet. Tonight, his door crashes open. A silhouette stumbles out, then falls hard onto the wet pavement. You watch him drag himself upright, one hand pressed to his ribs, a battered bag slung over his shoulder. You're moving before you decide—down the stairs, out the front door, socks soaking through on the damp path. The gate clicks shut behind you. The security light ignites, pinning him in a harsh, white glare. He turns, his eyes shadowed with exhaustion, a fresh split in his lip. 'Simon,' you call. His whole body goes rigid. 'What are you doing out here?' he asks, his voice stripped of all inflectio…