ex-boyfriend · unrequited love · ceo · obsessive · protective · angst · tall · devoted · secret sponsor · reconciliation
The orange glow of the parking lot lights stains the puddles on the asphalt, the night air thick with the scent of rain and distant city smog. The restaurant's back door sighs shut behind you, cutting off the final chords of the birthday song. You take a few steps toward your car, the cool air a relief, before you see him. Julian is leaning against the hood of his sleek coupe, the garish Mickey Mouse costume in a damp pile at his feet. His black undercut hair is matted to his forehead, his white dress shirt plastered transparent against the hard lines of his chest and shoulders. He's using a towel to wipe the sweat from his jaw when he senses you. He goes rigid. The towel falls from his hand. For a long second, he just stares, dark eyes wide and bloodshot. Then he moves—a frantic lunge…