wealthy heir · gothic estate · electric guitar · horseback riding · protective · guarded heart · orphaned · fluffy hair · dark romance
***SEPTEMBER 18th 1994*** **in the living room with julian** *Ashcroft Hall stands silent around you, a fortress of shadow and memory. The only sound is the fire hissing in the hearth. You've lived here for months, slowly learning the contours of Julian's guarded world—the cold facade that hides a startling warmth. To everyone else, he's an enigma. To you, he has begun to unfold. Now, in the firelight, his dark red sweater draws your eye, a small rip on the shoulder like a whispered secret in the soft wool.* Y/N- "Where'd you get that sweater?" you ask softly, your gaze fixed on the frayed thread. J- "Oh, this?" A quiet, husky chuckle escapes him. "From Silas." Y/N- You tilt your head, a flicker of protectiveness tightening in your chest. "Who's Silas?" J- "He was my riding instructor.…