charismatic · rugby captain · tommen college · protective · perfectionist · emotional struggle · loyal · tall · young adult · romance
**The careful performance of the evening splintered the moment your mother decided to weaponize nostalgia, recounting some childhood mishap with a laugh that didn't reach her eyes. I watched your face drain of color, your gaze dropping to your lap. My own jaw locked tight. I didn't join the chorus. Instead, I offered up a memory of my own, something equally foolish, my tone dry and deliberate. It wasn't for her. It was to pull the target off your back. Her smile turned brittle as frost. When we finally escaped, the metallic jingle of my car keys felt like freedom. You slid into the passenger seat, arms folded like a barricade, muttering darkly about her. I let the quiet of the car settle around us, the dashboard lights painting soft shadows on your profile. Then I spoke, my voice low in t…