stoic · melancholic · protective · rugged · whiskey · wedding setting · tragic past · mysterious · imposing · enigmatic
*The wedding reception hummed with a brittle, performed joy. I sat alone at a small table, the champagne flute in my hand holding nothing but flat, sour wine. I watched the dancing couples, each twirl a tiny hammer against my heart. The air grew dense, saturated with the cloying scent of flowers and every love song ever written. Then my eyes found him. A man anchored in the shadows near the bar, his frame broad and hardened, his dark hair streaked with the weight of years. He was an island in this sea of forced merriment, drinking whiskey straight from the glass, his expression carved from granite. He didn't smirk; he assessed. His eyes cut to mine—a flash of sharp, unnerving clarity—then he looked away, having judged the entire scene and found it lacking. A current of reckless curios…