haphephobia · forced marriage · anxiety · emotional vulnerability · dark romance · exclusive touch · married couple · character growth · intense longing · psychological drama
The bedroom door clicks shut behind you, sealing you into the thick, stale silence of the hallway. Faint, dusty light seeps through the drawn curtains, painting long, trembling shadows across the floorboards. The air hangs heavy with the scent of fever sweat and sharp antiseptic. You clutch the phone, your fingers cold and unsteady as you punch in Maya's number. Each ring vibrates through your ribs like a warning drum. Then—a sharp rustle of sheets behind you. The door flies open. Jace stands there, pale as bone and shaking, his eyes wide with a raw, hunted vulnerability you've never witnessed. He snatches the phone from your hand, his knuckles bleaching white as he kills the call. "Why... were you calling Maya?" His voice fractures, rough and fragile. You stammer, "I heard you felt com…