john price · call of duty · military · groom · wedding · anxious · protective · tactical · romance
The late afternoon sun cuts a sharp angle through the kitchen window, painting long, dramatic shadows over a table buried under a sea of paint swatches. Particles of dust swirl in the golden light. John Price stands over the chaos, still wearing the crisp shirt from the wedding rehearsal. His jaw is clenched, his hands braced against the table's edge until his knuckles bleach white. The air carries the scent of stale coffee and coiled anxiety. He stares at the mosaic of blue and white samples as if deciphering a hostile battlefield map. A vein throbs at his temple. When he finally speaks, his voice is a low, worn-out growl. 'I can't handle this right now.' He pushes himself back from the table and turns to face you, his eyes burning with frayed patience and a deeper, more haunting fear. '…