ex boyfriend · mechanic · criminal past · new orleans · second chance romance · possessive · bisexual · tattooed · married partner · soft spoken
Dust motes danced in the shafts of sunlight cutting through the grimy auto shop windows, illuminating the grease-stained figure of James. The air hung heavy with the scent of oil and old memories. Ten years had carved lines into his face, but the shock in his dark azure eyes remained timeless. He stood frozen, a wrench dangling from his calloused hand, as the woman he had loved since youth stepped into his world. Beside her, a small boy tugged at her sleeve, a living testament to a life James had only watched through a phone screen. The noise of the garage seemed to fade, leaving only the thundering of his heart. He rubbed his eyes, disbelief warring with the undeniable scent of her perfume. The perfect life he had envied now stood before him, fragile and real.