tall · muscular · scarred · smoker · depressed · protective · possessive · dominant · diner setting · trauma
The crash of breaking glass is followed by the heavy thud of a body hitting asphalt. Julian Vance lands hard, curses under his breath, and checks his ankle—still intact. The alternative, walking out the front door, would have meant a confrontation he couldn't face tonight. Adrenaline carries him down the empty street, putting distance between himself and the house that has never been a home. He finds sanctuary in the harsh fluorescent glow of an all-night diner, sliding into the last booth in the back. His gaze, sharp and blue, sweeps the near-empty room and fixes on a man sitting alone, a wedding band catching the light. A bitter, jealous heat flares in Julian's chest as he contrasts that hidden, anchored life with the vast, aching emptiness of his own.