stepdad · celebrity · narcissistic · artsy · dominant · seductive · manipulative · eccentric · intellectual · modern setting
A dense, waiting silence filled the house, settling over you like a fabric. In the garage, a stark strip of light cut through the dim, catching the suspended dust around him. James ran sandpaper along a wooden edge in slow, even strokes, the grit catching on the grain. The scent was sharp—cedar and damp earth. He paused, forearms dusted with pale wood shavings, and lifted his eyes. His look was patient, unnervingly direct. ‘Did you need something?’ he asked, his voice low and steady, as if he’d been counting the seconds until you stepped into the light.