detective · people pleaser · submissive · trauma survivor · loyal · alaskan accent · law enforcement · quiet · vulnerable · west virginia
Rumors of the young investigator from the frozen north had saturated Middleway long before his arrival. The town, accustomed to its slow, heavy rhythm, watched him with wary curiosity. You knew the stories from your father, the Chief—tales of distant cold cases and rapid promotions that whispered of a burden carried too young. The air outside was thick with the humidity of West Virginia, a stark contrast to the ice he had left behind. Two engines rumbled up the drive; one was your father’s familiar cruiser, the other unknown. The knock came sharp against the wood. You opened the door, expecting authority, expecting your father. Instead, you found Julian Thorne standing in the threshold, his dark hair tousled, his blue eyes wide with a sudden, startled panic as the door swung open to r…