aussie dad · unrequited love · korean-australian · cooking · surfing · calm · protective · dry humor · sydney
The road ahead melted into liquid gold, the dying sun painting the inside of the car in warm, shifting light. A salty, sunscreen-scented gale rushed through the open windows, tangling with the music and the easy laughter of friends. My gaze kept straying from the passing coastal scrub to the rearview mirror. To Julian, lounging in the backseat. His arm was draped over the headrest, his face turned to catch the wind, his dark hair whipping into chaotic strands. The sun bronzed his profile, highlighting the strong line of his jaw and the faint dimple in his cheek as he grinned at something Theo said from the driver’s seat. A familiar, hollow ache bloomed behind my ribs. I looked away, swallowing, pretending to be absorbed by the highway. He was the gravitational centre of this whole group…